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I 







THE SUMMER HOUSE. 









ALTEMUS’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIBRARY 


THE 

SWISS FAMILY 

ROBINSON 

OR 

The adventures of a Shipwrecked Family on an 
Uninhabited Island 


With bo illustrations 

•: if 


msr89i896jj, $ 

PHILADELPHIA 

HENRY ALTEMUS 

i8q6 


a- 


IN UNIFORM STYLE 



Copiously Illustrated 


THE PILGRIM’s PROGRESS 

Alice’s adventures in wonderland 

THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS & WHAT ALICE FOUND THERE 

ROBINSON CRUSOE 

THE CHILD’S STORY OF THE BIBLE 

THE CHILD’S LIFE OF CHRIST 

LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES 
THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON 
THE FABLES OF ^ESOP 

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AND THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 
MOTHER GOOSE’S RHYMES, JINGLES AND TALES 
EXPLORATION AND ADVENTURE IN THE FROZEN SEAS 
THE STORY OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION IN AFRICA 

Gulliver’s travels 



Price 50 Cents Each 


Henry Altemus, Philadelphia 


Copyright 1896 by Henry Altemus 


Henry Altemus, Manufacturer 




PREFACE. 


qpHE story of the Swiss Family Robinson is founded 
-L on the report of the captain of a Russian ves- 
sel, who, on one of his voyages, discovered a 
group of fertile islands, situated towards the south- 
east of Java, and not far distant from New Guinea. 
On landing on one of these, the crew were greatly 
surprised to find it inhabited by a family consisting 
of a father, mother, and four sons, who informed 
the captain of the circumstances which had placed 
them in such a position. 

The father related that he had been a Swiss clergy- 
man, and in the Revolution of 1798 had lost all his 
property. He therefore resolved to become a mis- 
sionary, proceeded to England with his wife and 
family, and there obtained an appointment to go 
out to New South Wales. 

He and his family sailed from England and con- 
tinued their voyage prosperously till they arrived 
near the coast of New Guinea. 

Here they were overtaken by a fearful storm, and 
it is in the moment when its fierceness is at its height 
that the author has chosen to commence his story. 

The father of the family tells the tale, and the 
vicissitudes through which he and his wife and chil- 
dren pass, the wonderful discoveries they make, and 

( 7 ) 


8 


PREFACE. 


the dangers they encounter, form the story of the 
Swiss Family Robinson. 

The first edition of the book appeared in German, 
in 1813, and at once became popular, and was im- 
mediately translated into many languages. Its au- 
thor, Johann Rudolf Wyss, was born at Berne, 
Switzerland, in 1781, and died in 1830. He was the 
author of several other works, but his reputation rests 
on the famous Story here presented. 

c X/Arf-c^ . 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE SHIPWRECK. 

npHE tempest had lasted six long and terrible days. 
-L On the seventh, it seemed to redouble its fury. 
We were driven far out of our course, and no 
one knew where we were. 

Everyone was worn out with fatigue and long 
watching ; and all hope of saving the ship was aban- 
doned. The masts were broken and the sails rent ; 
the ship, full of water, threatened every moment to 
go down, and each offered up his soul to God for 

( 9 ) 


IO 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


mercy, and strove to find some means of saving his 
life. 

My boys clung to their mother in our little cabin. 

u My dear children,” said I, “God can save us if 
it is His will : if not, we must calmly yield our lives 
into His hand.” 

My poor wife wiped her tears, and, to give cour- 
age to her boys, became calm. But while trying to 
comfort my family, I could scarcely restrain my own 
grief. 

We all knelt together and prayed to the Almighty. 
Fritz, my eldest boy, prayed most earnestly that God 
would save his dear parents and brothers, seeming 
quite forgetful of his own safety. All at once, above 
the roar of the wind and waves, I heard the cry, 
“ Land, land ! ” while at the same instant so violent 
a shock was felt, that I believed the ship had struck 
on a rock, and would immediately go to pieces. 
The cracking timbers, and the sudden rush of water 
which poured in on all sides, proved that I was not 
mistaken. Then the voice of the captain was heard 
in terrible tones, above the tumult, shouting, ‘ ‘ Lower 
the boats ! We are lost ! ” 

4 ‘ Lost ? ’ ’ The cry went like a dagger to my heart ; 
but the cries of my children told me that I must not 
allow them to despair at this awful moment. ‘ ‘ Keep 
up your courage ! ” I cried, cheerfully. “We are all 
above water yet ; I will go on deck and see if any 
way of escape be possible.” 

I went quickly above; but I was thrown down, 
and wave after wave washed over me, dashing me to 
the deck. I struggled to withstand their force by 


The wreck 








12 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON \ 


clinging to the side of the ship, and then what a 
sight presented itself! 

One boat was far out to sea, and the last of the 
sailors, as he leaped on board the other boat, cut the 
rope and it began to drift away. I cried, I begged, 
I entreated them to return and take my wife and 
children, but in vain. My voice was drowned in 
the howling of the blast; and, even had I been 
heard, the fury of the waves rendered the return of 
the boats an impossibility. Glancing around me in 
despair, I saw, with returning hope, the position of 
the vessel. The bow had sunk forward, leaving 
the stern, in which was our cabin, high above the 
water, and as the wreck was fixed between two rocks, 
there seemed to be no immediate danger of its sink- 
ing, especially if the storm abated. Looking towards 
the shore, which a misty rain obscured from view, 
perhaps making it appear more barren and desolate 
than it was, I determined to make an effort to reach 
that place of safety; and returning to my dear ones 
below in the cabin, I addressed them hopefully. 

“ Take courage,” I said, on entering, “all is not 
yet lost. The ship is fixed between the rocks, and 
our little cabin is high above the water. If to- 
morrow brings a calmer sea, we may be able to get on 
shore. ’ ’ 

My boys received this news with joy; but my wife 
noticed my anxiety in spite of my calmness. I knew 
that her confidence in God was unshaken, and this 
gave me new courage. 

Searching in the steward’s room for food, my wife 
soon had a plentiful supper prepared for us. ‘ 4 For, ’ ’ 
said she, “ nourishment for the body gives strength 


THE SHIPWRECK. 


13 

to the spirit, and we may have a very disturbed 
night.’ ’ 

And so it proved. The three younger boys retired 
to rest, after their hearty meal, and were soon fast 
asleep, overcome with fatigue and excitement, but 
Fritz, the eldest, a youth of fourteen, preferred to 
watch with us. 

During the night the storm continued, and the 
waves broke over the lower part of the ship with 
great fury. Cracking noises told us that the timbers 
of the wreck were strained by their force, and a con- 
stant trembling caused a dread that the vessel might 
at any moment fall in pieces. 

After one of these shocks Fritz exclaimed: — 

“Father, I have thought of a means of safety. 
Do you think we could find swimming belts on board 
for mother and the boys, or make something to sup- 
port them in the water? You and I could swim on 
shore; but they cannot swim.” 

“An excellent idea, my boy,” I replied. “We 
will search at once.” 

But no belts could be found ; so I fixed on a plan 
which I hoped would prove successful. In the stew- 
ard’s cabin we found a number of empty barrels 
strong enough to keep a person afloat. These we 
fastened together in pairs, with space enough be- 
tween them to allow of their being tied under the 
armpits of the three boys and my wife. We also 
provided ourselves with knives, string, a tinder box 
and matches, and other useful and portable articles, 
which we could secure about our persons, hoping 
that, if the vessel went to pieces, we might be able 
to reach the shore, partly by swimming, and partly 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


14 

by being borne on the waves, and not be quite des- 
titute. 

Fritz, being worn out, fell asleep. My brave wife 
and I remained awake, trembling at each shock that 
threatened to engulf us. It was a trying night, and 
we passed it in prayer and consultation about our 
future. With thankful hearts, we hailed with de- 
light the first glimmer of dawn, and, as the wind had 
abated, we felt somewhat reassured and more hope- 
ful of safely reaching land. 


CHAPTER II. 

PREPARATIONS FOR ESCAPE. 

T ROUSED the boys. We all got on deck, and 
then, for the first time, they saw that we were 
alone on the ship. 

“O, papa! where are the sailors and the other 
passengers ? How are we to get to land ? Are they 
gone ? Why did they not take us ? ” they asked. 

“My children,” I said, “though we seem de- 
serted, we must not despair. Let us bestir ourselves 
and each cheerfully do his best.” 

‘ ‘ The sea is calm enough for us to reach the land 
by swimming,” said Fritz. 

“Swimming is right for you,” answered my 
second son, Ernest, “but not for us who can’t 
swim.” 

“ Suppose we search the ship, and see if anything 


PREPARATIONS FOR ESCAPE. 


*5 

can be found for a raft,” I replied, after several plans 
liad been proposed. 

I descended first to the provision-room, where, to 
my great satisfaction, I found a good supply of both 
food and water. My wife and her youngest boy went 
to visit the animals ; Fritz ran to the armory ; while 
Ernest sought for the carpenter’s tools. As Jack 
opened the door of the captain’s cabin two large dogs 
sprang out, and bounded upon him so roughly that 
they threw him down, and he thought they were 
about to devour him. He recovered himself quickly, 
and seizing the largest dog by the ears, jumped on 
his back and rode gravely to meet me, as I came up 
the hatchway. 

One by one the various explorers returned with 
their prizes, each bringing what he considered most 
useful in our position. 

Fritz brought with him two guns, some powder, 
shot, and bullets. Ernest held in his hand his hat 
full of nails and a hammer and hatchet, while from 
his pocket protruded a pair of pincers ; while little 
Frank, the youngest, carried a packet of fishing- 
hooks and lines, with which he seemed much 
pleased. 

u As to myself,” said my dear wife, “I am the 
bearer of good news. There are still alive on the 
ship a cow, an ass, two goats, six sheep, a ram, and 
a sow.” 

“ Well done,” I said ; “ but I am afraid you have 
brought two tremendous eaters, Jack, instead of use- 
ful things.” 

“ Not at all, papa ! ” exclaimed Jack. “ When we 
get to land the dogs will help us to hunt.” 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

“No doubt,” I replied ; “but how are we to get 
there ? ” 

“Easy enough,” said Jack. “Can we not sail in 
tubs, as I used to do on the pond at home ? ’ ’ 

“A capital idea!” I said. “Come, and let us 
begin, and see what can be found in the hold.” 

We found four large empty casks, and set to work 
to saw them apart through the middle. After great 
exertion we succeeded, and I viewed with much 
satisfaction the eight half-casks ranged in a row on 
the deck. 

‘ 4 1 never dare venture on the open sea in one of 
these,” said my wife, with a sigh. 

“ Do not alarm yourself so soon my dear wife,” 
I replied. “ My contrivance is not yet finished, and 
you will find that these tubs are much to be pre- 
ferred to a shattered wreck which is a fixture on the 
rocks. ’ ’ 

After another search I got a long plank, and upon 
this nailed my eight tubs. Two other planks were 
nailed firmly on each side of the tubs, and brought 
together at the ends, forming a stem and stern. I 
thus made a narrow boat, divided into eight com- 
partments, all strong and well fitted ; but, to my dis- 
may, it was so heavy that we were not able to move 
it an inch. 

“ Run and bring me one of the capstan bars,” I 
cried ; “I must use it as a lever.” 

Fritz went to find one, while I set to work to saw 
up a spar into short rollers, which Fritz placed under- 
neath as I lifted the lower part of my boat with the 
iron bar. 

I next fastened a rope to this tub-raft with a strong 


PREPARA TIONS FOR ESCAPE. 


17 

knot, attaching the other end to a beam ; and then, 
giving the end a slight push, we had the pleasure of 
seeing our little craft slide from the deck into the 
sea. Unfortunately, the boat leaned so much on 
one side that it would have been dangerous to em- 
bark in her. I saw at once what was wanted, and 
quickly gathering up all the heavy things around 
me, I threw them as ballast into the tubs, and the 
boat soon righted itself. But something more was 
required to make her safe, and I fixed two outriggers 
similar to those used by various savage tribes. I 
securely fastened two topsail yards — one over the 
stem, the other across the stern — in such a manner 
that they would not be in the way when we pushed 
off our boat from the wreck, and fixed the end of 
each yard into the bunghole of an empty cask. 
Thus the boat was balanced and kept steady during 
our short voyage, and nothing now remained but to 
find some oars for use on the morrow. 

I took the precaution to make my boys fix the 
empty cans and flasks to their arms as a means of 
safety should anything happen to the ship, and got my 
wife to dress herself in sailor’s clothes, as being 
more convenient for swimming should she be thrown 
into the water. 

She objected greatly at first, but I convinced her 
of the safety the dress would prove in case of acci- 
dent. When she reappeared I could not help paying 
her a compliment, for the dress became her admi- 
rably. With bright hopes for the morning we all 
retired to our berths, and peaceful sleep prepared us 
for the exertions of the coming day. 


i8 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


CHAPTER III. 

ONCE MORE ON RAND. 

A T daybreak we were all astir; for hope, like care, 
is not a friend to sleep. After a short prayer, 
I said to my children, — 

“I hope now, with God’s help, we shall soon be 
out of danger. But first let us provide food and 
water enough for the poor animals, to last them 
several days ; we may perhaps be able to return for 
them. And then, my boys, gather together every- 
thing you can find that may be of use to us.” 

My plan was to take with us a keg of powder, 
three fowling-pieces, muskets, pistols, and a stock 
of bullets, with a bullet-mould and lead to prepare 
more when these were gone. To my wife and each 
of the children I gave a game-bag filled with pro- 
visions. 

I loaded two of the tubs with an iron pot for cook- 
ing, a fishing-line and rod, a chest of carpenter’s 
tools, and enough canvas to make a tent. 

When all was ready for us to embark, I placed 
each of the boys in a tub, and prepared with my 
wife to follow them into the boat. All at once the 
cocks began to crow, as though to reproach us for 
deserting them. 

“ I think we might manage to take them with 
us,” I said, “for if we cannot feed them, they will 
feed us.” So a couple of cocks and ten hens were 
placed in the tubs, and covered over with pieces of 
wood, to keep them from jumping out. As there 




getting ashore. 






20 


THE SIVISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


was not room for all the poultry, I set free the 
ducks, geese, and pigeons, hoping that they would 
reach the land, either through the air or by water. 

At length, all being ready, I cut the cable. In 
the first tub were my wife and little Frank ; the 
three next contained the ammunition, the sailcloth, 
the tools, the provisions, and the chickens ; Fritz, 
Ernest, and Jack occupied the fifth, sixth, and 
seventh ; and I took the last one for myself, hoping 
that I might be able to guide the vessel by the stern 
oar, which served for a rudder, to a safe landing- 
place. 

The tide was flowing as we quitted the wreck, 
and helped to carry us towards the land. As we 
glided into the open sea the two dogs, Turk and 
Juno, which had been left on the wreck, whined 
piteously, and sprang into the water and swam after 
us. Both were of large size, so we dared not take 
them on board, and I feared they would not be able 
to swim for such a distance; but by now and then 
resting their fore-paws on the poles which formed 
the outriggers, they managed to follow us without 
much trouble. 

Our passage, though tedious, was safe, for the sea 
was calm, and we found ourselves gradually nearing 
the shore. The water was strewed with chests, 
casks, and bales of goods from the ill-fated ship — 
and Fritz and I managed to lay hold of two hogs- 
heads with our oars, and fastened them with ropes 
to the raft. 

As we drew near the coast, the land, which pre- 
sented at a distance a very uninviting aspect, lost 
much of its wild and sterile appearance ; and Fritz 


ONCE MORE ON LAND. 


21 


declared that he could see various trees, and was 
certain some of them were palms and cocoanuts. 



OTJR FIRST DAY ON SHORE. 


I regretted that I had forgotten to bring the 



22 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


telescope from the captain’s cabin, when Jack drew 
from his pocket a small one, which he offered to me. 
By its aid I observed a narrow bay, in the direction 
of which our ducks and geese were rapidly swim- 
ming in advance of us, as if to lead the way. We 
plied our oars bravely, and a strong current assisted 
in carrying us towards the rocky shore; but I suc- 
ceeded iu guiding our boat towards the entrance of 
the creek, and found the water just deep enough to 
float it. After some little trouble, we arrived at a 
low shady bank, on which it was easy for us to 
land. 

Everyone leaped out joyfully from the boat. The 
dogs, which had already reached the land, bounded 
with joy, leaping and barking around us in the 
wildest manner. The geese and ducks quacked to 
welcome us, and the cries of flamingoes, who flew 
away as we appeared, mingling with the screams of 
penguins perched on the rocks, formed a strange 
concert. 

Kneeling down on the shore, our first act was to 
thank God for our merciful escape, and to commend 
ourselves to his protection for the time to come. 

All briskly began to unload the boat, and I set 
about choosing a spot on which to erect a tent as a 
shelter for the night. This we did by taking one of 
the poles which had served to balance the boat, and 
firmly fixing it upright in a hole in the ground. 
One end of another pole was then tied crossways, 
near the top of the first one, while its opposite end 
was fixed in a hole of the rock. 

Over this we stretched our sailcloth, fastening it 


THE FIRST DAY ON SHORE. ’ 23 

to the ground with a number of pegs ; while for 
greater security our chests and other heavy articles 
were placed around the edge of the cloth to keep 
out the wind. Fritz set hooks to the edges in front, 
that we might draw them together during the night. 
This being done, I sent the children to gather moss 
and grass to spread in the tent for our beds. 


CHAPTER IV. 

THE FIRST DAY ON SHORE. 

W HILE they were thus busy, I piled up a 
number of large stones at a little distance 
from the tent, and on the margin of a little 
stream, to form a fireplace. Gathering some dried 
twigs and branches of trees, I placed them on my 
stone hearth, and soon had a cheerful blaze. Upon 
this I placed our iron pot full of water, and into it 
my wife dropped several of the tablets of portable 
soup she had brought with her from the ship. 

Fritz, who had loaded his gun, went along the 
banks of the stream to look for game. Ernest walked 
towards the sea ; while Jack scrambled among the 
rocks to search for shellfish. 

Having now a little leisure to look about me, I 
returned to our landing-place to secure the two 
hogsheads we had taken in tow. I found that the 
spot we landed on was bad for unloading, as it was 
too steep. While I stood thinking what was best to 
be done, I was alarmed by hearing Jack cry out as 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON \ 


24 

if in terror. Seizing a hatchet, I ran to his aid, and 
found him wading up to the knees in a shallow 
pool, where a big lobster had seized him by the leg 
in one of its claws. 

I jumped into the water, and, striking a blow at it 
with my hatchet, soon brought it maimed to shore, 
to Jack’s great delight. 

He laid hold of it with both his hands and set off 
to carry the captive to his mother. Scarcely had 
he grasped it, however, when it struck him such a 
violent blow with its tail that he threw it on the 
ground and began to cry. 

I could not help laughing at the little fellow’s ill- 
luck, and in his anger he took up a stone and 
stunned it by a blow on the head. 

Finding the lobster helpless, Jack ran with it to 
his mother, saying: — 

“Mother, mother! Ernest! Frank! see, I’ve 
caught a lobster ! Where is Fritz ? ” 

We all listened with astonishment at the recital 
of the perils he had taken in securing the prize. 
Ernest thought it should be cooked for dinner, but 
his mother decided that it should be set aside till we 
had more need of it. 

U I think,” said Ernest, “I have found some- 
thing quite as good to eat as Jack’s lobster; but I 
did not care to get any, because I should have had 
to wade through the water.” 

“What an excuse!” exclaimed Jack. “Afraid 
of getting wet ! — and they were only nasty mussels, 
I dare say, and not fit to eat.” 

“I believe they are oysters,” replied Ernest, 


THE FIRST DAY ON SHORE. 25 

quietly; “and they are not at any great depth in 
the water.” 

“Why did you not bring us some? Every sort 
of food is now acceptable. And to fear getting wet ! 



JACK CAUGHT BY THE EOBSTER. 


how absurd ! You see that the sun has dried my 
clothes and Jack’s already,” said I. 

“I did not think about that, papa,” replied 
Ernest, “or I could have brought salt as well. I 
saw a great quantity in the fissures of the rocks, 


2 6 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


produced by the evaporation of the sea-water, I 
suppose. ’ ’ 

“ Doubtless, my little philosopher. Go and bring 
some, unless you would like to eat your soup with- 
out it.” 

In a short time he returned with what was really 
common salt, but so mixed with sand that it seemed 
to be of no use. 

“I can improve it,” said my wife, ‘ ‘ by melting 
it in fresh water, and straining it through a piece of 
linen. If the water is allowed to dry up, the salt 
will remain behind.” 

“ Why could we not use sea- water ? ” asked Jack. 

“ Because it would be too bitter,” replied Ernest. 

The soup was now ready, but Fritz had not re- 
turned. Where could he be? While we waited, 
my wife remarked — 

‘‘How are we to eat our dinner, now that it is 
ready? We have no spoons, plates, nor cups. We 
can’t lift this huge pot of boiling soup to our 
mouths.” 

We all laughed heartily, especially when Ernest 
said — 

“If we only had some cocoanuts we could divide 
the shells in two; they would make good cups.” 

“ Certainly,” I replied ; “but why not wish for a 
dozen silver spoons ? Wishing is useless : we must 
invent something.” 

“ Those’ shells I saw would serve for spoons,” said 
Ernest. 

“True, my boy. Oyster-shells are better than 
nothing; run, boys, and get some as soon as you 
can.” 


THE FIRST DAY ON SHORE. 


27 


Away started Jack. Ernest followed slowly, and 
when he reached the spot, there was Jack up to his 
knees in the water. He hastily detached the oysters, 
and threw them to Ernest, who got them together 
(being still very careful not to wet his feet), and they 
got a good supply. 

Almost at the same moment as they returned 
Fritz also reappeared, with one hand behind his 
back, affecting a dispirited air. 

u Empty-handed ? ” I asked; but his brothers, 
who crowded round him, shouted, “ A sucking pig ! 
a sucking pig! Did you kill it? Oh, do let us 
see it ! ’ ' 

Fritz then, with a satisfied look, showed his prize, 
the first result of his hunting exploits. He told us 
he had wandered to the other side of the stream, 
and found the vegetation very different — green grass, 
pleasant meadows, and great trees to shade us from 
the heat. 

“And, papa,” he added, “there are chests and 
boxes and spars floating about, and the beach is 
strewed with portions of the wreck. Can we not go 
and get them? If the animals were here that we 
left on board, it would be easy to find food for them; 
and how useful they would be, especially the cow, 
to supply us with milk ! Don’ t let us stay in this 
barren place.” 

“ Patience ! ” I said. “ Not so fast; one thing at 
a time. To-morrow we will try what can be done. 
Did you see any traces of our shipmates?” 

“No, papa; not a sign of them, on sea or land. 
I think this is an island ; there are pigs here, for I 
have shot one. It is not exactly like the pigs in 


28 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


Europe, for its paws are more like those of a hare. 
I saw several in the grass, sitting on their hind legs, 
and feeding themselves like squirrels. ” 

“It is not a pig at all ! ” said Ernest, who had 
been examining it. “It has hair like silk, and four 
large cutting teeth in front. I believe it is an an- 
imal I have read about iu my natural history, called 
an agouti.” 



THE AGOUTI. 


“ I believe you are right,” I replied. “It’s looks 
correspond exactly with the descriptions I have read, 
as well as with the pictures.” 

While we were discussing this question, Jack was 
trying to open an oyster with his knife. “Here 
is a simpler way,” I said, and placing some upon the 
hot coals, they quickly opened of themselves. 

“See, my children, these are considered a great 
delicacy. Eet us taste them.” 


THE FIRST DA V ON SHORE. 


29 

No one, however, cared to eat the oysters : so we 
threw away all but the shells, which we used in- 
stead of spoons, plates and basins. 

While we were making a good meal, the dogs 
found Fritz’s agouti, and began tearing it to pieces 
before we saw them. Seeing this, Fritz seized his 
gun (the first thing he could lay hold of) and struck 
at them with it so violently as to bend it. The poor 
beasts ran off howling, and he then threw stones 
after them. 

My voice recalled him to himself, and, when his 
rage calmed down, I talked seriously to him about 
giving way to such passion. He looked ashamed, 
and owned he was wrong, and after begging his 
mother’s pardon, I saw him trying to make friends 
with the dogs by offering them some biscuit. 

The sun was low in the horizon before we finished 
our meal. The fowls and ducks flocked round us, 
and my wife gave them some corn from a bag I had 
seen her throw into the tub alongside of little 
Francis. I praised her forethought, but at the same 
time urged her to feed the birds on biscuit-crumbs, 
and to keep the corn for sowing. The pigeons re- 
tired to certain holes in the rocks, and the fowls 
roosted on the top of the tent, while the ducks and 
geese sought shelter in the marshy margin of the 
river. We, too, made ready for the night. Loading 
our firearms, we placed them so as to be at hand in 
case of alarm, and, having offered up prayer, with- 
drew to our tent and lay down to sleep. To the 
great surprise of the children, it soon darkened, from 
which I guessed we were somewhere near the equa- 
tor, or at least within the tropics. 


30 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


I looked out once more to make sure that all was 
right, and then closed the entrance to our tent. The 
day had been warm, but it was now very cold, and 
we were glad to creep close together for warmth. 
The children were soon asleep. My wife and I kept 
awake for some time; but sleep crept over us, and 
our first night on shore was passed quietly and with- 
out alarm. 


CHAPTER V. 

A TOUR OF DISCOVERY. 

T HE crowing of the cocks awaked us at dawn, 
and my wife and I consulted together on our 
future proceedings. We agreed that it was 
our first duty to search for some trace of our late 
companions, and also to explore the county, before 
deciding upon our future resting-place. My wife 
understood that it would be impossible for the whole 
family to venture on such a tour, and she proposed 
that I should take Fritz, as he was the strongest and 
most useful, and leave the younger boys under her 
care at the tent. They were soon awake, and I in- 
quired of Jack what had become of his lobster. 

While he ran to bring it from a crevice in the 
rock, where he had placed it for safety beyond the 
reach of the dogs, I told Fritz of our proposed ex- 
pedition, and I added, as Jack returned, “I think 
you ought to give up to Fritz the claws of the lob- 
ster which I promised you, to provide him with a 
dinner on his journey to-day. ” 


A TOUR OF DISCOVERY. 


31 


“An excursion I” they all cried. “Are we 
going, papa?” and they began to jump and dance 
round me like little kids, clapping their hands with 

j°y- 

“ Not this time,” I said. “We know not what 
dangers we may meet. Fritz and I have strength 
to bear the fatigue of a long journey. You must 
stay here with your mother, in safety. We shall 
take Turk with us, and leave the other dog Juno 
to defend you.” 

I told Fritz to take his gun, an axe, and a game- 
bag; and equipped myself in the same manner. I 
placed two small pistols in his belt, and also loaded 
the game-bag with powder and shot, some biscuits, 
and a bottle of water. 

Breakfast was ready by this time. It consisted of 
the lobster and some biscuits. What remained over 
we pocketed for our journey, and, kneeling together 
in prayer, we asked for the succor and protection 
we all so much wanted now. 

We parted from the family in tears, and I heard 
them calling after us words of encouragement till 
we reached the stream which we intended to cross. 

The banks of the river rose abruptly, and we were 
obliged to follow the stream for some time before we 
found a spot at which to cross. 

After walking a long distance we noticed a narrow 
part, and by leaping from stone to stone, reached 
the opposite bank in safety. 

The aspect of the country changed entirely, and 
we had forced our way scarcely a hundred yards 
through the tall rank grass when we heard a rustling 
behind us. I stopped, and, looking round, saw the 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


32 

unknown enemy, which proved to be our trusty dog 
Turk. We had forgotten to call him, and he had 
been sent after us. 

Pursuing our journey, we reached the seashore. 
Here we paused, and gazed across the ocean, in hope 
of discovering the boats containing our unfortunate 
companions, but in vain : not even in the sand could 
we find any trace of the footsteps of man. 

“Why should we trouble ourselves about them at 
all ? ” asked Fritz. “ They cruelly abandoned us.” 

“My dear boy,” I replied, “we ought always to 
return good for evil. If they could not be useful to 
us, we might help them greatly, for they carried 
nothing away from the wreck, and may be dying of 
hunger.” 

Thus talking, we walked on, and at the end of 
two hours reached a wood. Here we rested, seating 
ourselves under the cool shade of some trees by a 
brook. 

Suddenly Fritz started up, saying he was sure he 
saw a monkey among the foliage ; and the loud 
barking of Turk confirmed him in his idea. He 
ran forward to assure himself that he was right, and 
while looking up, he struck his foot violently against 
a round, hard substance which lay on the ground. 

Picking it up, and bringing it to me, he said, 
“What is this, papa? I think it must be the nest 
of some bird.” I smiled as I replied, “It is a nut, 
my boy — a cocoanut, too.” 

“Some birds make round nests, I know,” he 
persisted. 

“ Certainly they do, but this is not a nest. The 
cocoanut has two shells : the outer one forming a 


A TOUR OF DISCOVERY. 


33 

thick fibrous covering, and the inner one hard, and 
containing a milky fluid. Break it, Fritz, and you 
will find the real nut or kernel inside.” 

He obeyed ; but the nut was an old one, and, in- 
stead of finding a pleasant and refreshing milk in- 
side, the kernel was quite decayed, and unfit to eat. 
I proposed that we should go farther into the wood, 
and perhaps we might meet with a fresher one. We 
had not gone far before we found another, sufficiently 
fresh to afford us a pleasant repast. 

We set forward again, and after walking for nearly 
four hours, we arrived at a neck of land which 
stretched far out into the sea, ending in a small but 
steep hill. Up this we climbed ; but, when we 
reached the top, the calm ocean lay stretched before 
us, sparkling in the sunlight ; on our left appeared 
a small bay ; while the rich verdure of the land 
reached almost to the water’s edge. 

After gazing with delight on this fertile spot, we 
examined with our glass the vast expanse of sea ; 
but no trace of our companions could be discovered, 
and no habitations of man nor signs of his preseuce 
could be observed inland. 

The thought that we were alone saddened me ; 
but I remembered we had left our dear home and 
country with the intention of settling as colonists in 
a distant and strange land, and that while we could 
go nowhere without meeting difficulties — though we 
certainly did not expect to be so entirely alone — the 
home allotted us might have proved bare of many 
advantages which seemed within our reach. 

We now descended the hill, and saw at a little 
distance a grove of palm trees ; but to reach it we 
3 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


34 

had to cross a large space thickly grown with tall 
reeds. Advancing cautiously, for at every step we 
feared that we should tread upon snakes or other 
reptiles, I made Turk go before ; and, as a further 
means of defence, cut from the reeds, which were 
tall and thick, one of the strongest I could find, to 
carry in my hand. 

Soon, to my astonishment, a juice ran between my 
fingers. I touched it with my lips, and its sweet 
taste proved at once that we had found a grove of 
wild sugar-canes. 

Wishing Fritz, who was a little in front of me, to 
make the same discovery, I advised him to cut a reed 
as a protection. 

He obeyed at once, and began striking the reeds 
right and left with it to frighten away serpents. In 
so doing he split the cane, and the juice streamed 
over his hand. Without a word he tasted it, and, 
jumping for joy, cried — 

“ O papa ! papa ! a sugar-cane ! Only taste it ! 
Oh, how delicious ! how delightful,” he continued; 
eagerly sucking at the cane. 

“ I should like,” he said, “to take some of these 
to my mother and brothers, as well as a few to re- 
fresh ourselves on the way.” I advised him not to 
take too many, so he cut a dozen of the largest, and, 
stripping them of their leaves, carried them under 
his arm. We soon arrived at the thicket of palm- 
trees, when a number of monkeys, startled by our 
footsteps and by Turk’s barking, rushed up the trees, 
where they sat grinning and chattering. Fritz, with- 
out a moment’s reflection, threw down his bundle of 
canes, and raised his gun ; but I held his hand, and 


A TOUR OF DISCOVERY. 


35 

showed him the folly and cruelty of killing a poor 
animal that could be of no value as food ; and which 
also excited no just apprehension of danger. 

“Just see how useful they can be to us, n I said. 
I picked up some stones and threw them, but not 
high enough to reach the monkeys. Their rage at 
this increased to fury, and they seized the cocoanuts 
within their reach and flung them down upon us in 
a perfect hail, so that we had to save ourselves, as 
we best could, in the shelter of the trees, or by 
jumping aside to avoid the by no means ill-aimed 
missiles. Fritz laughed heartily at the success of 
my stratagem, and, when the cocoanut shower had 
ceased, we gathered as many as we could carry. 

We now sought for a spot in which to enjoy the 
repast thus provided. We broke the outer shells 
with one of our hatchets, and by making a hole with 
a knife at the stalk end of the kernel, and another 
on the opposite end, we were able to drink the milk. 
After breaking the inner shell, we found a white 
part inside, which, being easily scraped off with our 
new spoons, proved very agreeable eating. The 
juice from the sugar-canes completed our delicious 
feast. 

The remains of the lobster were given to Turk, 
with a few biscuits, and as he did not appear satis- 
fied, we threw him some pieces of sugar-cane and 
cocoanuts, which he pounced upon eagerly and 
seemed to enjoy. 

I gathered the cocoanuts that had long stalks, and 
tied them together to enable me to carry them more 
easily. Fritz took up his bundle of sugar-canes, 
and we began our march homeward. 


3 6 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


CHAPTER VI. 

THE RETURN HOME. 

F RITZ soon found "his canes heavier than he ex- 
pected : he shifted them from one shoulder to 
another, then carried them under his arm, and 
finally halted, and sighing deeply, said, “Really, 
papa, I had no idea that a few reeds would be so 
heavy.” 

“Never mind, my boy,” I answered, “patience 
and courage ! Let us each take a fresh staff, and 
then fasten the bundle crosswise on your gun.” 

We did so, and as we went along I often tasted my 
cane ; Fritz tried to do the same, but found he could 
not extract any juice. “ How is this, father ? ” he 
said. 

“Think a little,” I replied, “and I am sure you 
will find the reason ; you do not yet employ the right 
means.” 

He soon found that he must make a small hole 
above the first knot of the cane to let in the air. 
This done, he was able to refresh himself as much 
as he wished with the delicious beverage. “ But,” 
said he, “if we continue to use them as we are doing, 
very few of the canes will reach the tent.” 

“Do not let that trouble you,” I answered, “for 
the heat of the sun will most likely turn the sweet 
juice sour.” 

“ At any rate,” replied Fritz, “ mother will enjoy 
the cocoa-milk, for I have filled my tin flask.” 

“My dear boy, you may find a bottle full of vinegar 


THE RETURN HOME. 


37 

instead of in ilk by the time we reach home ; it 
quickly spoils. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ Shall we try it now ? ” he asked. 

The bottle was taken from his bag; and, as we 
tried to draw the cork, it flew out with a loud report, 
the milk following it, foaming like champagne. 

We tasted it, and found it delicious. Much re- 
freshed, we walked on so briskly that we soon 
reached the edge of the wood when Turk darted 
past us, barking furiously at a troop of monkeys. 
They were taken by surprise, and sprang into the 
trees out of Turk’s reach. All escaped but a female 
monkey, who carried a little one on her back, and 
could not get away. Turk had seized the poor an- 
imal, and although Fritz rushed to the rescue, he 
arrived too late to save her. The baby monkey had 
fallen on the grass when Turk seized its mother, but 
the instant the little one caught sight of Fritz, it 
jumped nimbly upon his back, and held on firmly 
by the boy’s hair. 

Seeing there was no danger, I laughed heartily at 
the ludicrous scene. 

By coaxing, I succeeded in relieving poor Fritz of 
his unwelcome guest, which was no bigger than a 
kitten, and incapable of taking care of itself. I took 
it in my arms as I would an infant. 

“ It is very obvious the little orphan has chosen 
you for its adopted father, Fritz,” I said jokingly. 

“The little rogue!” laughed Fritz. “What a 
jolly little fellow it is. He has pulled my hair ter- 
ribly. But do let me keep it. We can feed it with 
cocoanut-milk; or, if we get the cow and the goat 
from the ship, there will be milk to spare. And 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


38 

perhaps, if he lives, his instinct may help us to dis- 
cover if the fruits and vegetables we find are whole- 
some or poisonous.” 

I could not help regarding it with pity, for it must 
surely perish if abandoned by us. I therefore con- 
sented, on condition that he took entire charge of it 
and taught it to be obedient. Turk soon overtook 
us, and at the sight of him the little monkey crept 
into Fritz’s bosom. A lucky thought struck him: 
he tied the monkey with a cord to Turk’s back, and 
though the dog objected at first, we at last got him 
to submit quietly to his burden. I could not help 
thinking of the mirth of my little ones when they 
saw us approach like a couple of showmen with an- 
imals to exhibit. 

Juno was the first to salute us by her barking. 
Turk responded, and so alarmed his little rider that 
he sprang from the dog’s back to the shoulder of 
Fritz, and nothing could induce him to quit his seat 
there. Turk, finding himself free, set off to rejoin 
his comrade, and, crossing the river by swimming, 
announced our approach. 

My dear ones soon assembled on the opposite bank 
to welcome us, and, full of joy and affection, our 
happy party was once more united. 

The children, when they saw what we had brought 
back, began shouting, “A monkey ! a monkey ! Oh, 
Fritz ! where did you find it? What a funny little 
fellow ! I wonder what it can eat. But what are those 
sticks for ? And look at those curious things papa 
is carrying ! ” 

When the first bursts of joy were over, I said, — 
“I am thankful to see you all again. We return 



THE BABY APE 


( 39 ) 










40 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


in safety, thank God, and have brought you many 
good things ; but we have not found any trace of 
our lost companions. ’ ’ 

“ Let us be grateful that we are united once more,” 
said my wife : “we can still be happy in our own 
society and love. Now let us relieve you of your 
burdens .’ 7 

Jack took my gun, Ernest the cocoanuts, Frank 
the spoons and plates which I had made, and my 
wife the game-bag. Fritz divided the sugar-canes 
among them, and again placed the little monkey on 
Turk’s back, to the children’s great amusement. 

Ernest appeared so laden with the nuts that his 
mother, out of pity, took them from him. 

“If Ernest only knew what he had given up,” 
said Fritz, “ he would soon ask for them again — 
they are cocoanuts. ’ ’ 

“Cocoanuts!” he exclaimed. “Oh, mamma, 
give me them again. I can carry them and the 
gun, too.” 

“No,” said his mother, “one thing is enough, 
or I shall hear you complaining how the load fatigues 
you.” 

“ But I can throw away these sticks and carry the 
gun in one hand.” 

“ Throw away those sticks ! ” cried Fritz. “ I ad- 
vise you not. They are sugar-canes ! ” 

“Sugar-canes ! sugar-canes ! ” exclaimed they all, 
as they clustered around Fritz, who showed them 
how to suck the juice. 

We soon reached the tent, where we found supper 
awaiting us. On one side of a large fire stood the 
iron pot full of soup. From a piece of wood, which 


THE RETURN HOME. ^ 

rested on two forked sticks fixed in the ground, hung 
a goose roasting, while large oyster-shells under- 
neath formed the dripping-pans. Several kinds of 
fish were cooking on the hot stones ; and, best of all, 



THE PENGUIN. 


at a little distance was one of the hogsheads I had 
saved from the wreck, which my wife and the boys 
had contrived to drag up from the river-side and 
open. It contained a number of Dutch cheeses 
wrapped in thin sheets of lead. 




THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


“You have not been idle during our absence, I 
see, my dear children ; but was it not a pity to kill 
one of our geese? ” 

“I believe it is a penguin, papa,” said Ernest; 
“and I call it a booby, because it let me kill it so 
easily with a stick.” 

“Come, now,” said his mother, “do you not see 
how Ernest’s eyes are fixed on the cocoanuts? Let 
him taste one of them.” 

“Certainly,” I replied ; “and the monkey must 
not be forgotten.” 

“But he will not eat anything, papa,” said Jack. 
“I have tried him with all I can think of.” 

“We must try him with the milk of the cocoa- 
nut,” I said. “ Probably he will drink that.” 

We all sat on the grass, with the spoons and dishes 
made from the calabash-tree. I broke open two of 
the cocoanuts, and all enjoyed the white lining of 
the inner shell, after I had extracted the milk. Nor 
was the monkey forgotten, for the boys dipped the 
corners of their handkerchiefs in the milk, and were 
delighted to find that the little creature would suck 
them eagerly. 

While we were enjoying the fish, which was very 
good, Fritz begged his mother to taste the cocoanut 
champagne. 

“ Taste it first yourself, Fritz,” I said. He did so, 
and was mortified to find it had turned to vinegar. 

“As I expected, my boy ; but, never mind, vine- 
gar is very good with fish ;” and as I poured some 
over my plate the rest followed my example. 

By the time we had finished, the sun was rapidly 
sinking, and it was necessary to prepare for the 


THE RETURN HOME . 43 

night. My wife and the boys had collected a large 
quantity of dry moss and grass, which was now 
spread on the floor of our tent, and formed com- 
fortable beds. 

The poultry were already gone to roost as before, 
and the geese and ducks had taken themselves to 
their night-quarters. After our evening prayer, and 
arranging all things as on the previous night, I en- 



THE JAGUAR. 

tered the tent. Fritz and Jack took the little moth- 
erless ape between them, to protect him from the 
cold, and we were all soon fast asleep. 

We had not slept long before the restless move- 
ments of the fowls and the barking of the dogs 
awoke us all. Seizing my gun, I rushed out, fol- 
lowed by my wife and Fritz, who were also armed. 
We perceived, by the light of the moon, that a 


44 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


battle was going oil between a couple of jaguars and 
our brave dogs. The dogs had nearly settled one of 
their assailants ; but the other one, hoping to take 
them at a disadvantage, still pressed on them, though 
the two courageous animals kept him at bay. 

Fritz and I fired together and laid one dead ; the 
other one, frightened by the report of the guns, 
made off. By my leave, Fritz dragged the dead one 
into the tent, to show in the morning to his brothers, 
whom neither the firing of the guns nor the barking 
of the dogs had wakened. We lay down once more 
and slept soundly until the crowing of the cock in 
the morning, when my wife and I awoke to consult 
about the business of another day. 


CHAPTER VII. 

A VOYAGE TO THE WRECK. 

W HAT shall we do first to-day,’ * I said. “A 
voyage to the ship is necessary, if the cattle 
are to be saved from starving ; and there are 
many useful things on board that would be of real 
value to us. But we have also very much to do 
here ; and above all things it is necessary that we 
make a more secure dwelling.” 

“Certainly a voyage to the wreck is first neces- 
sary, for, should a storm arise, everything on board 
will be lost; but patience, dear husband,” she 
replied, “all will be done in time.” 

It was accordingly agreed that the three youngest 


A VOYAGE TO THE WRECK. 


45 

boys should stay with my wife, and that Fritz and I 
should proceed to the wreck. 

I roused the children. Fritz jumped up first, and 
ran for his jaguar. He placed it on its four legs in 
a most lifelike attitude at the entrance of the tent, 
to surprise his brothers. No sooner did the dogs 
see it than they rushed at it to tear it in pieces, but 
Fritz called them off. Their barking, however, 
caused the boys to hasten out to see what was the 
matter. Jack issued first with the monkey on his 
shoulder ; but no sooner did the little creature see 
the jaguar than he sprang into the tent and hid him- 
self among the moss, till only the tip of his little 
nose was visible. All were astonished to see this 
large animal. Francis thought it was a yellow cat, 
Jack said it was a tiger, and Ernest declared it a 
panther. 

Fritz laughed at the learned professor, who knew 
the agouti immediately, and now called a jaguar a 
panther. 

At last I said, u You are none of you very far 
wrong, for the jaguar partakes of the nature of the 
cat, the tiger, and the panther.” 

My words produced peace, and after prayer we 
breakfasted. We were obliged to content ourselves 
with dry biscuits, which were so hard that our teeth 
could scarcely break them. Fritz asked for some 
cheese, and went behind the tent to procure some 
from the cask. Ernest followed, and quickly re- 
turning with a bright face, exclaimed— 

“Oh, papa, if we could only open that other 
cask ! ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ What cask ? ” I asked. 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


46 

“The large cask just outside. Some grease has 
run through a little crack. I am sure it looks 
exactly like salt butter. ’ ’ 

“Come, boys,” I said, “we will go and see ; ” 
and all sallied out to examine this wonderful cask. 
The boy was right, and in a few minutes we obtained 
a cocoanut-cup full of salt butter. We toasted the 
biscuits at the fire, covered them with butter, and 
so had a most delicious breakfast. During our meal 
the dogs lay quietly by our side, and did not seem 
at all anxious for their share of our breakfast. I 
examined the poor beasts, and found that they had 
been bitten in several places, especially about the 
neck. 

As the animals began licking their wounds, we 
washed the salt out of some butter and applied it as 
a salve, and in a few days they were healed. Ernest 
said that they ought to have spiked collars, to defend 
them from any wild beasts they might encounter. 

“ I will soon make them two collars, ” said Jack, 
“if you will let me.” 

I was glad to employ his inventive powers ; and 
bidding the children not to leave their mother during 
our absence, we got ready for our voyage. 

While Fritz made ready the boat of casks, I 
erected a flagstaff, attaching a piece of sail-cloth to 
it for a flag, to serve as a signal to us that all was 
going on well. If, however, we were wanted, they 
were to lower the flag, and fire a gun three times, 
when we would return; for, as I told my wife, it 
might be necessary for us to remain on board all 
night. Trusting to find food on the ship, we took 
onlyour guns and am munition. Fritz wanted to take 


A VOYAGE TO THE WRECK. 


47 

the little monkey, that he might give it some milk 
from the cow or the goat. 

After taking leave of each other, we rowed into 
the middle of the bay. Here a strong current from 
the river set in toward the vessel; and it carried us 
a long way on our voyage. We rowed the rest of 



thi$ spiked coeears. 


the distance, and soon moored our boat alongside the 
wreck, and went on board. 

Fritz hastened first to feed the cattle, and all the 
animals saluted us with manifest joy. We put the 
young monkey to a goat, which, to our great amuse- 
ment, he sucked with extraordinary grimaces. . We 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


48 

then took some refreshment ourselves ; and Fritz 
proposed that we should at once fix a mast and sail 
to our boat. “For,” said he, “the current which 
helped us to the vessel cannot carry us back ; but the 
wind, which was against us, will be of service if we 
have a sail. ’ ’ 

I thought his advice good, and we began this 
work. I selected a strong pole for a mast, and made 
a hole in a plank to receive it. Securing the plank 
on our fourth tub, thus forming a deck, we raised 
our mast, and finally fastened it by ropes to each end 
of the boat. Fritz ornamented the top of the mast 
with a little red streamer, and gave our boat the 
name of “Deliverance.” To complete its equip- 
ment, I fixed grooves for inserting an oar, so that I 
could steer and otherwise manoeuvre the boat from 
either end. 

As the day was far advanced, I signalled that we 
should not return that night ; and we spent the rest 
of the day in emptying the tubs of the stones we 
had used as ballast. I11 their places we stowed such 
useful things as powder and shot, nails and tools of 
all kinds, pieces of cloth, and, above all, knives, 
forks, spoons, and kitchen utensils, including a 
roasting-jack. In the captain’s cabin we found a 
service of silver plate, some pewter covers and dishes, 
and a small hamper filled with choice wine. All 
these we took, as well as a stock of provisions, in- 
tended for the officers’ table, including portable 
soup, Westphalian hams, and Bologna sausages, 
together with some bags of maize, wheat, and other 
seeds, and a supply of potatoes. 

We collected all the implements of husbandry we 


A VOYAGE TO THE WRECK. 


49 

could find room for, and stowed them in the boat ; 
together with some hammocks and blankets. Of all 
these things there was an ample supply, so we had 
free choice among a quantity of useful articles, all 
suitable for the lonely life we seemed likely to have 
to spend on this island. As our vessel was an emi- 
grant ship, whose destination was the southern seas, 
our fellow-passengers had provided themselves with 
provisions and utensils which a ship bound on an 
ordinary voyage would not have carried. 

To all these I added a barrel of sulphur, with 
which to make matches; all the cord and string I 
could lay hands on, and a large roll of sailcloth. 
Our tubs were loaded to the edge, and, if the sea 
had not been so calm, it would have been risky to 
attempt our return. 

We once more exchanged signals with those on 
shore, to assure ourselves of their safety, and after 
prayers, retired to our tub-boat for the night. Fritz 
slept soundly; but I, anxiously thinking of the 
dangers of the previous night, could not close my 
eyes. I was thankful for the protection those on 
shore had in the faithful dogs, in case of need. 


CHAPTER VIII. 
the return home. 


A S soon as morning dawned, I hastened on deck, 
- and with the help of the telescope I saw my 
wife looking towards us, and observed with 
pleasure the flag, which denoted their safety, floating 
4 


THE SWISS TAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


5 ° 

in the breeze. After enjoying a breakfast of biscuit, 
ham, and wine, we set about devising some means 
of saving our cattle. Fritz suggested a raft, but 
even if we could contrive one large enough, how 
were we to get all the animals to remain still on it ? 

At last Fritz proposed swimming belts, and we 
spent two hours in making and fixing them. For 
the cow and ass it was necessary to have an empty 
cask on each side, well bound in strong sailcloth, 
fastened by leather thongs over the back and under 
each animal. For the rest, we merely tied a piece 
of cork under their bodies ; and fastened a cord to 
the horns or neck of each animal, with a slip of 
wood at the end for a handle. And now came the 
difficulty of launching our living freight into the 
sea. 

Fuckily, the waves had broken a large .hole in the 
side of the ship, and left an opening wide enough 
for the cattle to pass through. We lead them to the 
lower part of the ship, and made the first experiment 
by giving the donkey a push into the water. He 
fell with great force, and rose struggling to the sur- 
face, but quickly recovering himself, he floated away 
in grand style. 

The cow was of far more value than the ass. I 
felt very anxious about her : but I pushed her in 
gently, and with equal success. 

We managed easily to get the whole afloat, except- 
ing the sow, who resisted furiously. When at last 
she was forced into the water, she swam quickly 
away, and made for the shore, which she reached 
long before the rest. 

We now embarked, and discovered the advantage 


THE RETURN HOME . 


51 

of our mast and sail, for the wind carried us gently 
toward the shore ; loaded as we were, we could never 
have rowed our boat. 

Suddenly a loud cry from Fritz filled me with 
terror. 

u Father ! ” he exclaimed, “we are lost ! See what 
an enormous fish ! It is coming towards us ! ” 

The bold boy had seized his gun, and by my direc- 
tions aimed and fired at the head of a monstrous shark 
as it was preparing to seize one of the sheep. It 
plunged and disappeared, leaving a long red track 
of blood behind, which showed that it was severely 
wounded. 

I again took the rudder, and, as the wind blew 
favorably towards the bay, guided the boat to a con- 
venient landing-place. We set the animals free from 
the guiding-ropes, and they all scrambled safely on 
shore. 

There was no sign of my wife or children ; but in 
a few moments they appeared, and, with a shout 
of joy, ran towards us. We were thankful to be once 
more united, and began to release our herd from 
their swimming-belts, which, though so useful in 
the water, were inconvenient on shore, after which 
we sat down to talk over our adventures. 

Fritz, Ernest and I next began the work of un- 
loading our craft ; while Jack, seeing that the poor 
donkey was still bothered with his belt, tried to free 
him from it. But the donkey would not stand quiet, 
and the boy’s fingers were not strong enough to 
loosen the cordage ; he therefore scrambled upon the 
animal’s back, and trotted towards us. 

“ Come, my boy,” I said, “no one must be idle 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


5 ^ 

here, even for a moment ; you will have riding 
enough hereafter. Dismount, and come and help 
us.” 

Jack was soon on his feet. “ But I have not been 
idle all day,” he said. “Look here!” and he pointed 
to a broad belt of yellow skin round his waist, in 
which he had stuck a couple of pistols and a knife. 
“And see,” he added, “what I have made for the 
dogs ! ” The dogs came at his call, and I saw that 
each of them was provided with a collar of similar 
material, stuck full of nails, which bristled round their 
necks in a most formidable manner. 

“ Well done, my boy ! ” said I. “ Where did you 
get your materials? and who helped you?” 

“He had no assistance,” .said iny wife ; “and as 
for the materials, Fritz’s jaguar supplied the skin, 
and the needles and thread came out of my wonder- 
ful bag.” 

Fritz felt sore at hearing that Jack had cut up the 
jaguar’s skin ; but I said that he must act like a man, 
and not show anger at little things. Besides, on 
nearing the tent, he found that the body of the ani- 
mal was becoming offensive, and he was glad to help 
to drag it down to the sea, and so get rid of it. 

By this time the unloading of our boat was nearly 
done, and we started for our tent. 

Finding no preparation for supper, I said, “ Fritz, 
go and bring the Westphalian ham from which we 
breakfasted out of the tub.” 

Fritz soon got the ham, and carried it to his 
mother, while Ernest set before me a dozen white 
balls with parchment-like coverings, which they 
had found during their morning’s ramble. 



THE SHARK SWAM TOWARDS THE SHIP. 


( 53 ) 


54 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


“ Turtles’ eggs ! ” said I. “Well done, Ernest !” 

While my wife prepared supper, we returned to 
the boat and brought up the rest of our cargo, col- 
lected our herd of animals, and again repaired to 
the tent. 

A hearty meal awaited us. We made a table of a 
board laid on two casks, and on this was spread a 
white damask tablecloth, on which were placed 
knives, forks, spoons, and plates for each person. A 
tureen of good soup first appeared, followed by a 
capital omelette, then slices of the ham, and finally 
some cheese, butter, and biscuits. After we had re- 
galed ourselves, I asked my wife to relate her adven- 
tures during my absence. 

“The first day,” said my good Elizabeth, “I spent 
in anxiety about you, and attending to the signals ; 
but this morning, being satisfied that we had noth- 
ing to fear, I began to look about for a sheltered spot 
for our tent. I believe this barren shore has not a 
single tree, so I decided to search for a more com- 
fortable spot for our residence, and set out with the 
children on a journey across the river. We took our 
game-bags and hunting-knives, and the boys each 
carried a gun and a stock of provisions, while I had 
a large flask of water and a small hatchet. The 
dogs went before, Turk making himself our guide ; 
and, with some difficulty, we crossed the river. I 
now saw the advantage of your having so early 
taught the boys to use fire-arms, as our defence de- 
pended almost entirely on two boys of ten and twelve 
years of age. 

“We reached the hill you described to us, and I 
was charmed with the prospect; but we made our way 


THE RETURN HOME. 


55 


towards a shady wood we had in view. It was a 
painful and harassing progress through grass and 
reeds that were higher than the children’s heads. 
All at once we were startled by a strange rustling 



THE BUSTARD. 


sound, and a bird of large size rose and flew away, 
before the boys could get their guns ready. They 
were much mortified, and I advised them to have 
their guns ready, for the birds would not be likely 
to wait till they loaded them, ‘I am sure,’ said 


5 6 THE SIVISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

Francis, ‘ the bird must be an eagle, it was so large ; ’ 
but Ernest ridiculed the idea, and thought it more 
like a bustard. They were getting into hot discus- 
sion on the subject, when suddenly another bird 
of the same kind sprang up close to our feet, and 
was soon soaring above our heads. I could not help 
laughing to see the look of confusion with which 
the boys followed it with their eyes. At last Jack 
took off his hat, and making a low bow, said, 4 Pray, 
Mr. Bird, be kind enough to pay us another visit ; 
but adieu for the present.’ We searched for and 
found the large nest they had left. It was very 
rudely formed of dry grass, and was empty. Some 
fragments of egg-shells were scattered near, as if 
the young had been recently hatched. We concluded 
that they had escaped among the grass. 

u Chatting together, we at last reached the grove. 
Numbers of unknown birds fluttered among the high 
trees, and seemed to welcome us with their song. 
We found, however, that what we thought a wood was 
merely a group of a dozen trees, but of a height far 
beyond any I had ever seen, with trunks apparently 
springing from roots which formed a series of sup- 
porting arches. Jack climbed one of the arches, and 
measured the trunk of a tree with a piece of string ; 
he found it to be thirty-four feet round. I made 
thirty-two paces round the roots. Between the roots 
and the lowest branches it seemed about forty or fifty 
feet high. The foliage was abundant, the branches 
thick and strong, and the leaves of a moderate size, 
resembling our walnut-tree. A thick, short, velvety 
turf carpeted the ground beneath and around the 


THE RETURN HOME . 


57 

roots of the trees, inviting us to repose, and alto- 
gether this was a most delightful spot. 

“ Here we sat down and made our noonday meal. 
A clear stream which ran near furnished water for 
our refreshment. On our return we took the road 
by the sea-shore. We found some timber, chests and 
casks that floated from the wreck ; all too heavy to 
bring home. Our dogs employed themselves in 
fishing for a kind of crab, which they appeared to 
eat with relish, and I now saw they would be able to 
furnish their own food. As we rested from our hard 
labor, I saw Juno scratching in the sand, and swal- 
lowing something with great avidity. ‘ They are 
turtles’ eggs,’ said Ernest. We therefore drove away 
the dog, and gathered about two dozen of them. 
While we were placing this prize in our bags, we were 
astonished at the sight of a sail. Ernest said he was 
certain it was papa and Fritz, though Frank feared 
it should be the savages who visited Robinson Cru- 
soe’s island, coming to eat us up. We were soon, 
however, able to calm his fears. Hastening to the 
river, we crossed it by leaping from stone to stone, 
and arrived at the landing-place, to greet you on 
your safe return. ’ ’ 

While listening to my wife’s narration of the day’s 
adventures, night came on. We knelt together in 
prayer, and then arranged ourselves in our places 
as usual, sleeping soundly and with great comfort 
upon the mattresses and under the soft coverlets 
which I had brought from the wreck. 


58 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


CHAPTER IX. 

BUILDING A BRIDGE. 

N EXT morning we rose early and took counsel 
together as to our future proceedings. 

“ I have been considering your plan,’’ I 
said, “and I think we ought not hastily to change our 
abode. We are protected, in case of danger, on all 
sides by the sea, the rocks, and the banks of the 
stream ; and, most important of all, we are near to 
the ship, which is still a mine of wealth to us.” 

“All very well,” answered my wife, “but you 
forget how unbearable is the heat. It is so suffocat- 
ing in the tent as to make me anxious about the 
children’s health ; and our only refreshment is the 
mussels and oysters which we gather on the shore. 
As for the safety you prize so much, did it save us 
from the jaguars ? The treasures on board the vessel 
are not to be despised, I know ; but I would renounce 
them gladly to be spared the anxiety your sea 
voyages to secure them occasion me.” 

There was some force in the arguments of my wife ; 
but “I think we can make a compromise,” I said. 
“ I will consent to change our home to your favorite 
trees on condition that we retain this settlement 
among the rocks as a provision-store and as a kind 
of fortress to which we can retire in time of danger. 
If this plan be adopted, the first thing we must do is 
throw a bridge across the stream, so as to make ac- 
cess between the two places quite easy.” 

“A bridge !” said my wife in astonishment, “The 


BUILDING A BRIDGE. 


59 

making of a bridge will be a tedious labor. Could 
we not load the ass and the cow with our baggage 
and cross the river as we did before ? ’ ’ 

I assured my dear wife that she was exaggerating 
both the difficulty of the work and the obstacles that 
stood in our way, and she acknowledged at last that 
I was right. We decided that the work should be 
begun at once. 44 For,’’, said she, 44 1 am anxious to 
leave this place as soon as possible.” 

The boys were quickly aroused, and, on hearing 
the plan of bridge-building, were full of eager de- 
light. After breakfast, Fritz took the monkey to 
the goat for his morning feast. Jack slipped away 
to the cow, and tried to milk her into a gourd ; but 
as he could not succeed, his mother took the vessel 
and showed him how to do it. As Jack saw how 
cleverly she drew the milk, he said, u Ah, if I had 
only known how to do it like that ! But I mean to 
learn, and then I can help mamma.” 

I prepared our boat for a voyage to the ship, to 
obtain planks and beams for building the bridge, and 
as soon as breakfast was over, I set off with Fritz 
and Ernest ; for, as it was necessary to work quickly, 
double help was needed. Rowing out to sea, we 
soon got into the current of the stream we had 
already found so useful. Passing an islet at the 
entrance of the bay, we saw a number of gulls, alba- 
trosses, and other sea-birds, flocking about some 
object on the shore. Fritz prepared to fire among 
them ; but I forbade him. I knew the gathering 
must be caused by something unusual, and I was 
anxious to find out what it was. I hoisted the sail 


6o 


THE SIV/SS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


to get a breeze that had sprung up, and we soon 
reached the islet. 

We then found that it was the carcass of a mon- 
ster fish which had been cast ashore, on which the 
birds were regaling themselves so eagerly that they 



THE DEAD SHARK. 


did not notice our approach until we were within 
gunshot of them. 

“Why, Fritz,” said Ernest, “this must be the 
shark you shot yesterday ! ” 

“Indeed it is, Ernest,” said Fritz, not a little 
proud of his exploit. 


BUILDING A BRIDGE . 61 

Ernest drew out the ramrod of his gun, and struck 
at the birds right and left. Some were so voracious 
that they refused to abandon their prey, and were 
knocked down and killed. We cut off a few strips 
of shark’s skin, which I thought might prove useful 
to us, and then returned to the boat. 



THE ALBATROSS. 

But this was not the only fruit of our visit to the 
island, for I saw with joy that a number of planks and 
beams had been loosened from the wreck, and cast 
on the sands by the waves. They were well adapted 
for my purpose, and would thus save me the trouble 
of seeking them on the vessel. So I selected those 
most suitable for building our bridge, and, with the 


62 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


help of the two boys, we soon had them afloat and 
fastened with ropes to our boat. Once more we put 
to sea, and lay alongside our old landing-place, hav- 
ing returned in less than four hours from the time 
we started. We were not expected, and none of our 
dear ones were there to welcome us. I shouted, 
however, and they soon came running, Frank with 
a fishing-rod over his shoulder, and Jack with a 
number of large lobsters in a handkerchief. 

kittle Frank, with pride, began at once to explain 
that he had first discovered them, while Jack related 
how he had courageously waded into the water to 
get them. I congratulated both the boys on^ the 
success of their exertions, and felt thankful that food 
for our wants was thus provided day by day. 

Turning in the direction of the stream, I pro- 
ceeded with the boys to decide upon the most suit- 
able place for the erection of the bridge. Jack 
suggested a spot, and I was anxious to see if he had 
made a wise choice. “If you have,” said I, “we 
will set about bringing up the planks, while your 
mother prepares our repast. ’ ’ 

After a careful examination, I felt that the place 
was well suited for the purpose, and we therefore set 
to work to transport the materials thither. 

The ass and cow were of the greatest help to us in 
this task. Calling to mind the simple harness in use 
by the Laplanders with their reindeer, I yoked the 
ass by simply passing the loop of a rope round its 
neck, and then, carrying it through between its legs, 
I secured it to a piece of timber which I wished to 
draw ashore. The cow was, in a similar manner, 
harnessed by a rope attached to its horns, and we 


BUILDING A BRIDGE. 63 

were thus able, with little difficulty, to drag the 
materials for the bridge to the chosen site. 

By means of a piece of string, with a stone tied 
to one end, which we threw to the opposite bank, 
we were able to measure the width of the stream, 
and soon found that the distance from one side of 
the river to the other was 18 feet. As it was neces- 
sary that the beams should have at least three more 
feet resting on each shore to make the structure se- 
cure, this would require the under ones to measure 
about 24 feet. We found several which exceeded 
this length and answered our expectations. 

But how to get such long and heavy pieces of 
timber across the water was the next difficulty to be 
grappled with ; for we were fatigued with the labor 
we had already undergone. While considering the 
subject, my wife announced dinner, and we returned 
to the tent for rest and refreshment. 

Our good housekeeper had boiled for us a dish of 
lobsters, which was very tempting, and prepared 
some rice. She asked us to look at two immense 
bags, which she had made out of a piece of sail- 
cloth, and had sewed with pack-thread. As she had 
no needle large enough to hold the thread, she con- 
trived to stitch the edges of the canvas together, 
using a nail for an awl, and by patience and perse- 
verance had finished two first-rate saddle-bags to hang 
across the donkey’s back like panniers, each of which 
would contain a great quantity of articles when we 
changed our home. 

I praised my dear wife for her ingenuity, and we 
ate our dinner in haste and hurried back to our work. 

As we approached the spot, a feasible plan sug- 


THE SIV/SS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


64 

gested itself which I immediately put into execution. 
I secured one end of a beam to the trunk of a tree, 
at about four or five feet above the grouud, and to 
the other attached a long rope, to which a stone was 
tied for throwing it across the river. I next crossed 
to the opposite bank and adjusted a pulley to another 
tree, through which I drew the rope, and then re- 
turned with the end in my hand. 

To this end I harnessed the cow and the ass ; then, 
passing the beam round to the front of the tree, I 
led the animals away from the water. As they 
moved slowly forward, the beam gradually rose, 
swung across the water to the opposite side, and 
then, when I checked my novel pair of draught horses, 
it sank steadily into its place on the bank. 

Fritz and Jack at once sprang boldly on to the 
beam, and danced lightly and rapidly across this 
narrow bridge, somewhat to my alarm. 

The most difficult part of the work was now over. 
The second, third, and fourth beams soon followed, 
and were arranged at equal distances from each 
other. Across these we laid planks of about eight 
or nine feet long, but did not nail them firmly, as 
I wished to be able to remove them quickly in case 
of danger, to prevent the passage of enemies, whether 
men or wild beasts. 

The bridge seemed in every point perfect : the 
supports were firm, and the passage across complete ; 
and I now brought my wife to examine what she 
thought was to be the labor of a lifetime. Both she 
and the children were astonished to see so difficult a 
piece of work done so easily. The boys jumped 
about, clapping their hands and shouting at the top 


THE 



5 


(65) 








66 


THE SIV/SS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


of their voices, and we all ran over it backwards and 
forwards several times, in our joy and excitement. 

The great exertion had exhausted our strength ; 
and, as evening approached, we knelt once more to 
offer our thanks to God for His merciful care of us 
during the day, and retired to rest. 


CHAPTER X. 

THE LAND OF PROMISE. 

N EXT morning, after breakfast was finished, we 
began our journey, warning the children to be 
cautious and prudent, and urging them to keep 
together in case of danger or of attack. 

Our first act was to load the ass and the cow with 
the travelling-bags containing our provisions, tools, 
cooking-utensils, hammocks, blankets, and other use- 
ful things. 

All was ready; but my wife would not consent to 
leave the poultry as food for the jaguars : above all, 
little Francis must have a ride : he could not pos- 
sibly walk all the way. I soon made him a com- 
fortable place between the bags on the back of the 
ass, while the children ran to catch the poultry and 
pigeons, but with no success whatever. Their mother, 
by scattering some handfuls of grain within the open 
tent, soon decoyed them into the enclosure, where, 
when the curtain was closed from the outside, they 
were easily caught. Their wings and feet were tied, 


THE LAND OF PROMISE. 67 

and they were all safely placed in two hampers, one 
on either side of the donkey. 

All the things that we left were laid up in the 
tent, which was well barricaded with casks and 
boxes, both full and empty. Each of us carried a 
bag for provisions, a gun, and some ammunition. 
Fritz marched at the head of our procession with 
his mother, followed by the cow and the ass and his 



THE DONKEY AND THE HAMPERS. 


rider. The goats, led by Jack, with the little mon- 
key on the back of his foster-mother, formed the 
third party. Ernest followed with the sheep, and I 
walked last as the rear-guard. The dogs rushed 
here and there, making it their business to see that 
all was right. 

As the procession moved on slowly, I explained 
how our Eastern fathers were wont to travel thus 
from place to place, and that even now the people 


68 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


of Tartary and Arabia, and other nomadic races, 
follow this sort of life. “But, for my part,” said 
I, “I shall be glad when our wanderings are over.” 

Thus conversing, we arrived at the bridge, and at 
this poiut the sow joined our procession. We could 
not make her follow the other animals ; but when 
she found that we had really left her, she hastened 
to overtake us. We crossed the bridge without ac- 
cident, the sow grunting her disapproval of the whole 
affair. 

But now difficulties beset us. The grass looked 
so fresh and tempting that our troop scattered them- 
selves right and left to feast upon it, and we should 
have been unable to place them again in rank and 
file but for the help of our faithful dogs, who, bark- 
ing and chasing, brought them again into order. To 
avoid a second interruption, our leader took a turn to 
the left, along the coast, where the tall rank grass 
was not so tempting to the animals. 

We had scarcely started when the dogs suddenly 
darted into the thick grass ; and soon their barking 
became mixed with howls of pain, as if they were 
struggling with some fierce assailant. 

Fritz ran to the spot, with his gun, followed by 
Jack, while Ernest, who was nervous and timid, ran 
behind his mother, yet making ready to fire in case 
of danger. I followed the boys anxiously, with my 
gun in readiness. They reached the spot before me, 
and the next moment Jack cried out, — 

“ Papa, come quick ! a huge tapir ! ” 

I saw, as I hastily approached, that he was right, 
and that the dogs were busy assailing it. 

Jack, without thought of consequences, drew his 




•4 



TO THE LAND OF PROMISE 


( 69 ) 



THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


70 

pistol from his belt, and shot it dead ; then, giving 
way to a burst of boyish exultation, he called upon 
us to help to convey his prize to his mother. 
Taking his pocket-handkerchief, and fastening one 
corner round its neck, he ran off, dragging it after 
him, to where his mother awaited us. 

“ Look, mamma ! ” he cried. “ Isn’t this a beau- 



the tapir. 


tiful prize ? I killed it myself with my pocket-pistol. 
I was not at all afraid.” 

His mother praised him for his courage and skill, 
and we then resumed our march. 

Without further accident, we at last arrived at 
what we had already styled “ The Land of Promise.” 


THE LAND OF PROMISE . 


71 

I congratulated my wife on her discovery of this 
charming place. 

“Oh, what magnificent trees!” exclaimed Er- 
nest. “ Look at their height ! ” 

u Indeed, they are magnificent ! ” I cried. “ This 
is a truly wonderful place. If we can establish our- 
selves upon these trees we may feel secure, and shall 
have little cause to dread the attack of any wild 
beast. ’ ’ 

We released the animals from their load, and set 
them free to graze with the sheep and goats, first 
tying their fore-legs together loosely, that they 
might not wander far. The sow we left to do as she 
pleased ; while the fowls and pigeons, to their great 
relief, were also set at liberty, and left to choose 
their own retreat. 

We seated ourselves on the soft green turf to con- 
sult upon our future dwelling-place, when suddenly 
we heard the report of a gun just behind us ; a sec- 
ond shot followed, and in a few moments Fritz ap- 
peared,' carrying by its hind-legs a large tiger-cat. 

“Bravo!” I cried. “You have done good ser- 
vice to our fowls and pigeons. Your friend there 
would have made sad havoc in our farmyard in a 
single night. But tell me, Fritz, how you managed 
to kill this beast of prey, and where did you find 
him.” 

“ I saw a movement among the foliage of a tree. 
I went quietly and stood at the foot, and there on a 
branch I saw this monster. The first shot brought 
him to my feet, but he was not dead, and, as he 
tried to rise, I fired a second time, and he moved no 
more.” 


72 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON . 


“ You may think yourself fortunate,” I said, “that 
the creature did not fly at you after the first shot. 
I think the one you have just killed is a species very 
common at the Cape of Good Hope and in South 
America ; and is so voracious, that even our sheep 
and goats would not be safe against such an enemy.” 

“ Can we not make use of its beautiful skin ? ” 

4 4 Indeed you can,” I replied. “From the legs you 
can make cases for knives, forks, and spoons, and 
of the tail a hunting-belt in which to carry your 
pistols.” 

This so took the fancy of the young people that 
they gave me no rest till I had shown them how to 
remove the skin both from the wild cat and the 
tapir. 

Meanwhile Ernest and little Frank were employed 
in gathering stones to make a cooking-place, and in 
collecting dry branches of trees for a fire. 

Soon little Frank appeared with his arms full of 
dry wood, and something in his mouth, which he 
was eating with a great relish. 

“I’ve found something so nice ! ” he cried — “oh, 
so nice ! ” 

“My child, what are you eating?” cried his 
mother. “ It may be poisonous.” 

Frank, in a fright, allowed his mother to take 
from his mouth what appeared to be the remains of 
a small fig. 

“Where did you get this ? ” she asked. 

“Yonder, in the grass,” replied Frank. “There 
are thousands of them. The fowls and the pigeons 
are eating such a lot ! and the one I tasted was so 
nice, that I thought it wouldn’t do me any harm,” 


THE LAND OF PROMISE. 


73 

“Do not be alarmed, ” I said to my wife, as she 
looked at me inquiringly. “These trees are appar- 
ently a species of mangrove, and bear a kind of fig, 
which I believe is wholesome : as a rule, moreover, 
we may consider safe any kind of vegetable or fruit 
eaten by birds or monkeys. But Frank,” I contin- 
ued, “ you must never eat the fruit you find, or even 
taste it, till you have shown it to me.” 

Frank heard my statement about the monkeys, 
and ran off to present a fig to Master Nip, who 
seized it hastily, and began eating it with the most 
comical expressions of delight. 

I divided the tapir into halves : one to be eaten 
fresh, the other salted, and the flesh of the tiger-cat 
we gave to the dogs. Until dinner was ready I em- 
ployed myself in planning our castle in the air. I 
thought of making a ladder of ropes ; but this would 
be useless, if we did not succeed in getting a cord 
over the lower branches to draw it up. As neither 
my sous nor myself could throw a stone (to which I 
had fastened a cord) over these branches, which 
were thirty feet above us, it was necessary to think 
of some other expedient. In the mean time, dinner 
was ready, and we truly enjoyed the flesh of the tapir 
and the excellent soup my wife had made for us 
from it, with biscuit in place of bread. 


74 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


CHAPTER XL 

THE DWELLING IN THE TREES. 

W HEN we had finished our dinner, I prepared 
our night-quarters by first hanging the ham- 
mocks from the arched roots of the tree, cov- 
ering the whole with sail-cloth, so as to make a tem- 
porary tent, which would at least keep off the night 
damps and noxious insects. 

My wife then busied herself in fixing some har- 
ness for the animals, as I intended to employ them 
the following day in drawing the beams up to our 
tree. This done, I walked down to the beach with 
the boys to search for pieces of wood suitable for 
building our new abode. For some time we hunted 
in vain, finding nothing but rough driftwood, utterly 
unfit for our purpose. Ernest at length pointed out 
a quantity of bamboos half buried in the sand, which 
were exactly what I wanted. Stripping them of 
their leaves, I cut them into lengths of about five 
feet each ; these I bound in bundles to carry to the 
tree, and having secured some slighter ones to serve 
as arrows, we set about searching for some flexible 
boughs. 

I saw what I required in a thicket at a little dis- 
tance. As we approached the marsh, Juno suddenly 
started forward among the underwood, barking furi- 
ously. Immediately a flock of fine flamingoes, which 
she had put to flight, rose into the air with a loud, 
rustling sound. Fritz, always alert and on his guard, 
instantly fired, bringing down two of them. One 


THE DWELLING IN THE TREES. 


75 


fell dead, but the other, which was only slightly 
wounded in the wing, ran off, and used his long legs, 



THE FLAMINGO. 


as if he were on stilts, with the greatest swiftness. 
I followed, yet should have failed to overtake him 


THE SWISS TAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


76 

had not Juno rushed forward, and, seizing the bird 
by the wing, held it firmly till I came up. 

The flamingo fought bravely for his life, beating 
me with his wings with great force ; and it was 
only after a struggle that I succeeded in mastering 
him. 

After securing the bird I picked out such of the 
canes as had done flowering, and cut off the hard 
ends to form points for my arrows, which I knew 
to be the practice among the natives of the Antilles. 
I also selected a few of the longest I could find to 
use as measuring rods for calculating the height of 
our tree. 

We now set off back, and soon arrived at our 
resting-place. Ernest carried the long canes and the 
bundle of bamboos. Fritz bore the dead flamingo, 
while I took charge of the living one. 

I anointed its broken wing with an ointment made 
of butter and wine, and bound it up, fastening the 
bird by a long cord to a stake fixed in the ground, 
near the bank of the stream. In a few days the 
wound was healed, and the bird, subdued by kind 
treatment, soon became quite tame and at its ease 
among us. 

“I fear,” said mother, when she first saw the 
bird, “that, with so many living animals, we shall 
find our supply of food quickly disappear.” 

“The flamingo,” I replied, “ will not eat grain, 
like our poultry, but will be quite satisfied with in- 
sects, fish, and little crabs, which it will pick up for 
itself.” 

I now set about measuring the height of the tree, 
and first asked my wife to supply me with a ball of. 


THE DWELLING IN THE TREES. 


77 

thick, strong thread. While she was searching for 
what I wanted in her wonderful bag, I sat down on 
the grass and made a number of arrows from the 
canes we had gathered, filling them with wet sand, 
to weight them. One end of each I tipped with the 
hard points I had cut from the canes which had done 
flowering, and to the other end I fastened some of 
the feathers of the dead flamingo. I then made a 
bow of one of the strongest bamboos, and tying one 
end of the ball of string to my arrow, fixed it in my 
bow, and sent it directly over one of the thickest of 
the lower branches of the tree. Falling to the ground, 
it drew the thread after it, and by this means I found 
that at least we should want eighty feet of rope for 
the two sides of our ladder. 

I next fastened a rope to the string, drew it over 
the branch, and charmed with this result, I at once 
hastened to complete my ladder. I stretched two 
ropes on the ground about one foot apart, while 
Fritz cut pieces of cane two feet long, which Ernest 
passed to me. These I placed about twelve inches 
apart, ladder-wise, between the ropes, and fastened 
them at each end — first with a knot, and then with a 
long nail through both ends, and into the rope, to 
prevent them from slipping. 

In a short time our ladder was completed ; and, 
tying it to the end of the rope which went over the 
branch, we drew it up without difficulty. All the 
boys were anxious to ascend ; but I chose Jack, as 
the lightest and most active. His brothers and my- 
self held the ladder firm by the end of the cord, and 
Fritz followed, carrying a bag of nails and a hammer. 
He secured the ladder so firmly to the branch that I 


THE SIV/SS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


78 

had no hesitation in ascending myself. I carried 
with me a large pulley fixed to the end of a rope, 
and attached it to a branch above us, to assist in 
raising the necessary materials with which to build 
our castle in the trees. On descending the ladder, 
well satisfied with my success, and full of confidence 
for the future, I called Fritz and Jack to come down 
to help me to collect the animals, and gather wood 
for a fire to burn all night and protect us from wild 
beasts. 

Supper was now quite ready. One piece of the 
tapir was roasted by the fire ; another piece formed 
a rich soup ; and both smelt delicious. A cloth was 
spread on the turf, and the ham, cheese, butter, and 
biscuit were placed upon it. Supper done, my wife 
called the fowls by scattering crumbs and grain to 
accustom them to the place. The pigeons flew to 
roost 011 the higher branches of the trees, while the 
fowls perched on the ladder ; the beasts, we secured 
to the roots, close to our hammocks. Then, after 
prayers, I kindled our watch-fires, and we all lay 
down to rest. The boys were rather discontented, 
and complained of their cramped position in the 
hammocks, longing for the freedom of the beds of 
moss; but I instructed them to lie, as the sailors do, 
diagonally ; and soon all sank to rest except myself. 
I was kept awake by anxiety for our safety, but by 
degrees I became more composed ; at last, overcome 
by fatigue, I also fell asleep, and only awoke when all 
the family were astir. 


A CASTLE IN THE AIR. 


7 <? 


CHAPTER XII. 

A CASTLE IN THE AIR. 

A FTER breakfast, Jack and Ernest put the har- 
EX- ness on the cow and ass, and prepared to ac- 
company their mother to the shore, to bring 
home the drift-wood necessary for our house. 

Fritz and I then ascended the ladder, and found 
enough to do. The centre of the trunk from which 
the curving branches sprang was in every way suit- 
able for our purpose. The lower branches, before 
they bent downwards, were strong, thick, and close 
together, and almost horizontal for a considerable 
length. I decided, therefore, to use them as beams 
for a flooring. 

On the upper branches, a few feet above us, I 
determined to hang our hammocks, and over those, 
a little higher up, to stretch a large piece of sailcloth 
as an awning and roof for our aerial castle. Between 
the sailcloth and the floor I cleared a sufficient space 
by cutting away the branches that grew across it, 
and by the time my wife and the boys returned with 
their first load we were prepared for them. By means 
of the pulley and rope we were able to draw up, 
piece by piece, the wood suitable for our flooring, 
my wife and the boys acting as the workmen below. 

When this platform was completed, Fritz and I 
erected a hand-rail around it, with pieces of wood 
about three feet long, forming an enclosure, so as to 
make it perfectly safe. Though as yet without 
walls or ceiling, excepting those formed by the 


8o 


THE SWISS TAMIL V ROBINSON. 


foliage of the tree, our work already appeared like a 
room. The whole morning was thus occupied, my 
wife and the boys having, in the meantime, brought 
up three loads of planks and beams from the beach. 

After a slight luncheon we returned to our work, 
and, slinging up the hammocks on the branches, 
prepared to raise the sailcloth over all as a ceiling. 
This was the most difficult part of our task, but by 
means of the pulley we at last succeeded, and 
managed to draw the canvas over the upper branches. 
By fastening its edges on three sides to our hand-rail, 
we were able to leave the fourth side (which looked 
out towards the sea) uncovered, as a means of 
entrance and light ; and before sunset this wonder- 
ful resting-place in the tree was completed, and had 
a most comfortable appearance. 

We had still several small planks left which I 
thought would do admirably for a table and two 
benches. By nailing several planks on the highest 
parts of the roots for the table, and on the lower 
curves for benches, I succeeded in making a most 
useful piece of furniture. 

While my wife prepared supper, of which we all 
stood in need, the boys lighted the fires for the 
night. The dogs were tied to the tree as a protec- 
tion against invaders, and, when all was ready, we 
commenced our ascent. My three eldest sons soon 
ran up the ladder ; my wife followed with more 
caution, and she also arrived safely at the top. My 
own ascent was the most difficult, for, in addition to 
having Francis on my back, I had to loosen the 
lower part of the ladder from the roots, where it was 
nailed, in order to be able to draw it up after me 



6 












82 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


during the night, so that it swung about very un- 
pleasantly. We retired to our hammocks free from 
care, and did not wake till the sun shone brightly in 
upon us at the opening of the tent. 

The next day was Sunday. We descended, and 
breakfasted on warm milk, fed our animals, and 
then, with my children and their mother seated on 
the turf, I placed myself on a little eminence, and 
after repeating the service of the day, which I knew 
by heart, and singing some portions of the 119th 
Psalm, I told them a little allegory, in which I 
sought to develop some of the important truths 
which serve as the foundation of morality and 
Christian religion, and we concluded by singing a 
hymn. 

After dinner, I proposed that we should give 
names to our place of abode and to all the parts of 
the island known to us, in order that, by a pleasing 
delusion, we might fancy ourselves in an inhabited 
country. My proposal was well received, and I sug- 
gested that we should give such simple names as 
should point out some circumstance or special event 
connected with the spot, so as to fix it more readily 
in our memory. Beginning with the bay where we 
landed, I called on Fritz for a name. 

“The Bay of Oysters ,” said he: “we found 
them in such abundance there.” 

“Oh, no!” said Jack. “ Lobster Bay is a more 
appropriate title, for there I was caught by the leg.” 

“Then we ought to call it the Bay of Tears f 
said Ernest, “to commemorate those you shed on 
the occasion.” 


A CASTLE IN THE AIR. 83 

“ Should we not rather name it Safety Bayf said 
my wife, “in gratitude for our escape? ” 

We were all pleased with this name, and pro- 
ceeded to give the name of Tent House to our first 
abode ; Shark Island to the little island in the bay ; 
and, at Jack’s desire, the spot where we had cut our 
arrows was named Flamingo Marsh. The prom- 
ontory from which Fritz and I had vainly sought 
for traces of our shipmates received the name of Cape 
Disappointment. The stream was to be Jaguar River, 
and the bridge, Family Bridge. Our new abode 
gave us the greatest trouble. I suggested the name 
of Falcon's Nest , “for,” said I to my boys, “you 
are as hardy and adventurous as young falcons, and 
as much disposed to deeds of pillage in the immediate 
neighborhood of your home.” Many names had 
been proposed, but mine at once set all the others 
aside. It was accepted as being a most appropriate 
as well as a poetical one. 

It was thus that in pleasant gossip we laid the 
foundation of the geography of our new country, 
and, closing our Sabbath Day with prayer and a 
glad hymn of praise, retired to rest with peaceful 
hearts. 


8 4 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON \ 


CHAPTER XIII. 

NEW DISCOVERIES. 

E ARLY on Monday morning I found that the 
boys were all longing to have bows and arrows 
of their own. Our more serious duties had 
prevented me making for each of them an instru- 
ment which I knew would give them all pleasure, 
and probably be of great service to us. 

Ernest had used the bow 
which I had lent him very 
skilfully, bringing down 
some dozens of ortolans 
— a kind of woodlark — 
from the branches of our 
tree, where they assembled 
to feed on the figs. These 
proved an acceptable addi- 
tion to our provisions, and 
indeed a delicacy, that 
under any circumstances 
would have been most wel- 
come. Ernest’s skill made 
the boys all anxious to be 
the; ortolan. equipped in like manner. 

I was glad to comply with their request, as I wished 
them to become skilful in the use of the bow, which 
might be of great value to us when our store of 
ammunition failed. I made two bows and two 
quivers to contain a supply of arrows, and, fixing 
straps to them, armed my young archers. 



NEW DISCOVERIES. 


&5 

While Fritz proceeded to finish his skin-case, Jack 
came to ask my assistance in dressing the skin of the 
tapir. Having finished the bows and arrows I first 
showed him how to clean it with sand and ashes, 
and assisted him in his first attempts as a currier 
and tanner. 

Having got rid of any fat or loose pieces of flesh 
that stuck to the skin, I directed him to rub it with 
butter, and stretch the skin with his hands to give 
it flexibility, and as Jack decided to make a cap for 
himself out of it he stretched it over the roots of the 
tree to dry. 

Thus employed the morning passed and dinner- 
time drew on. As the heat was somewhat less 
oppressive towards the latter part of the day, I pro- 
posed we should walk to Tent House to renew our 
stock of provisions, and try to bring the geese and 
ducks to our new home, where there was a stream 
well-suited to their habits. Instead of going by the 
coast we went up the river, by the road leading to 
the rocks, and then continued under their shade till 
we reached the cascade, where we could cross, pur- 
posing to return by Family Bridge. 

Our walk by the waterside proved charming and 
agreeable. During the whole distance we enjoyed 
the pleasant shade from large trees in full foliage, or 
from the ridge of rocks which extended for a long 
distance between the beach and the stream. The 
soft grass under our feet formed a far more pleasant 
path than the pebbles and sand of the shore. 
Altogether the place was so attractive that my wife 
and I did not hurry ourselves, but sauntered along 


86 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


at our ease, while the boys rambled far and wide, 
and had got quite out of sight. 

Before long, however, I saw them coming at full 
gallop. Ernest arrived first, but gasping for breath, 
and unable for some time to utter a word. 

“Papa!” he cried at last. “ Eook ! Potatoes! 
We have found potatoes ! ” 

“I am afraid,” I exclaimed, “that news is too 
good to be true.” 



POTATO PLANT. 


“I think they are potatoes, papa,” said Fritz, 
somewhat confidently. “Ernest has been very 
lucky to discover such a valuable treasure ; there 
are acres of them.” 

“ Let us go and see the spot,” I said. And with 
eager haste the boys led me to the place, and I was 
quickly convinced of the joyful fact that a little 
forest of potato-plants in full flower lay at our feet. 

“ Oh,” cried Jack, “ I knew they were potatoes ! 


NEW DISCOVERIES. 


87 

What a treat ! If Ernest was the first to discover 
them, I will be the first to get you a supply.” 

Accordingly he set to work to dig the roots up 
with his hands. Master Nip instantly followed his 
example ; but he dug more quickly and cleverly 
than Jack, for he picked out the ripest ; and in a 
very short time quite a large heap of potatoes had 
been gathered, from which we filled our sack and 
game-bags as full as possible. 

Ernest proposed that we should at once return to 
Falcon’s Nest, for two reasons — first, because the 
potatoes were a heavy load ; and, secondly, that we 
might cook them for supper, and have a feast. 
But I reminded him that there existed still stronger 
reasons why we should go on, and we continued our 
walk pleasantly, and in good spirits, in spite of the 
heavy load. 

At last a beautiful prospect lay before us, very dif- 
ferent from anything we had hitherto seen. Tropi- 
cal plants of all descriptions carpeted the ground 
— prickly shrubs, and flowers of every hue, which 
could only be reared in hothouses at home ; the 
Indian fig ; the aloe, crested with white blossoms ; 
the tall, stately cactus, with its prickly leaf and 
amber flowers ; creeping plants, winding their 
tendrils over every stem, and spreading perfume 
around us from their many-colored blossoms. But, 
above all, we were delighted to find fruit trees, and 
among others, to our great joy, an abundance of 
ananas or pineapples. 

I discovered among the various prickly-leaved 
plants a kind of aloe, partly in bloom, but chiefly 


88 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


covered with young shoots. This plant was to me 
a welcome sight. 

“ See, boys ! ” I called out. “ This is a most valu- * 
able discovery. The under foliage of this plant 
resembles the pineapple ; but the stem is far more 
elegant. Observe how slender and upright it grows, 
and what beautiful red blossoms ! When your mother 
wishes to mend our clothes, I can now supply her 



THE PINEAPPLE OR ANANA. 


with thread made from its filaments,” and I ex- 
plained that it was only necessary to dry the leaf in 
the sun or before the fire, in order to cause the fibres 
to easily separate from their covering. 

With this I split a leaf, and drew out a number of 
very strong yet beautifully fine threads, certainly 
not longer than the leaf, yet still long enough to 
form a needleful. 

“You see, children,” I said to the boys, “it is 


NEW DISCOVERIES. 


89 

not safe to judge by appearances. The aloes, which 
you despised, proves far more useful than either the 
dainty pineapples or the potatoes. Its pith also 
supplies an excellent tinder.” 

“Yes,” cried, Ernest, “I’ll own it is very valu- 
able, but what is the use of all the other prickly 
plants that grow in such profusion around us? ” 
“They are useful in many ways,” I replied, “and 
some of them furnish the chief medicines used in 
Europe. The aloe, for example, is used to a very 
great extent in this way, and even these insects,” 



COCHINEAI, INSECTS. 


said I, pointing to a number of little brown crea- 
tures creeping and feeding on a species of prickly 
fig (with which Jack had wounded his hand in 
hastily snatching some fruit from the shrub), “ make 
the cochineal so much used at home.” 

“ But what is cochineal ? ” asked Ernest. 

“A dye made from the small insects that live on 
the leaf of this plant,” I answered. “ They are 
collected by people shaking them from the trees into 
a cloth. When they are dried and packed together 
they form a very important article of commerce, as 
the richest and most beautiful scarlet dye is pro- 
duced from them.” 

While thus talking, we reached the shallow part 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 



9 0 

of Jaguar River, and by crossing cautiously over the 
stepping stones, soon arrived at Tent House, which 
we iound in the same state as when we left it. 

Without delay, the boys prepared to light a fire 
for their mother to cook the longed-for potatoes ; 


returning thanks. 

and when at length the much-praised and delicious 
supper was ready, we enjoyed it as much as we had 
anticipated. It was not without heartfelt thanks 
for the many mercies we enjoyed that we retired, 
fatigued and sleepy, to our castle in the air. 


THE SLEDGE. 


9 * 


CHAPTER XIV. 

THE SLEDGE. 

I HAD noticed the previous evening, as we came 
along the beach, a quantity of wood, which I 
thought suitable for making a sledge, on which 
to bring our casks and heavy stores from Tent House 
to Falcon’s Nest. At dawn of day I woke Ernest, 
and, leaving the rest asleep, we descended. Then 
harnessing the ass to a strong forked branch of a 
tree that was lying near, we set off together to the 
shore. I had no difficulty in selecting suitable 
pieces of timber, which, having sawed to the right 
length, we tied together, and laid across the bough 
to which the ass was harnessed. Adding to the load 
a small sailor’s chest, which we found half buried in 
the sand, we returned homeward, Ernest leading the 
ass ; while I followed, assisting to raise the load 
with a lever when we met with any obstacle. My 
wife had been alarmed at our absence ; but seeing 
the result of our expedition, and hearing of the 
prospect of a sledge, she was well pleased at what 
we had done. 

The chest was eagerly opened and examined. It 
was found to contain clothes and linen, almost 
spoiled by sea-water, but still of value to us. 

Fritz and Jack had been shooting wood-pigeons 
during our absence, and had consumed so much 
powder and shot that I felt it my duty to interfere ; 
for at such a rate our store of ammunition would 


THE SWISS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


92 

soon fail ; and, besides, for the present, we had 
birds enough. 

My wife agreed with this sensible advice, and I 
therefore showed them how to make snares for the 
birds from the threads of the aloe leaves. The two 
younger sons busied themselves with these, while I, 
with the elder boys, began to build the sledge. 
While thus engaged, we heard a great noise among 
our poultry. They screamed and cackled and flut- 
tered about in such alarm, that we ran with all 
speed to the spot. 

Quite by chance Ernest saw the monkey rush 
under one of the arched roots with a newly-laid egg 
in his paw, and disappear behind the tree. But 
Ernest was too quick for him ; and found the egg 
hidden in the grass with three others. We punished 
the young thief, by keeping him a prisoner every 
morning till the eggs were collected. 

On returning to dinner, Jack, who had mounted 
into the tree to search for a spot on which to place 
the bird-traps, came down hastily with the news that 
a pair # of our pigeons were building a nest among 
the branches. I at once forbade all shooting in the 
trees, and decided that the idea of placing traps 
there for the birds must, for the present, be aban- 
doned. As the boys followed me to the spot at 
which I had left the wood, little Frank amused us 
by asking — 

“Papa, why can’t we sow gunpowder instead of 
those seeds? It would be much more useful than 
grain to us.” # 

His brothers laughed heartily, and Ernest ex- 
claimed — 


THE SLEDGE . 


93 

“ Why, Franky, gunpowder is not a seed : it will 
not grow like oats ! ” 

I then explained to them that gunpowder is made 
of saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal mixed together, 
and that it was discovered that these materials united 
would form an explosive substance. 

By perseverance and hard work we managed to 
construct the sledge. I joined two curved pieces of 
wood by three pieces across, one in front and one 
behind, with a third in the middle. On these we 
nailed planks, and then, fastening the ropes to the 
outer points, the sledge stood complete. 

My wife and the two young boys were occupied in 
plucking birds, while a number of them were 
already roasting before the fire on a spit formed from 
the blade of a Spanish sword (which belonged to 
one of the ship’s officers). It seemed unnecessary 
to cook so many at once ; but my wife explained 
that she was getting them ready for thj butter-cask 
I was to bring for her on the new sledge, as she had 
decided to preserve them half-cooked and packed 
in butter, for use when other supplies should fail. 

I prepared to start for Tent House with the sledge 
directly after dinner. In addition to arms, each of 
us carried, in our girdles of shark’s skin, not only a 
hunting-knife, but a beautiful case, made by Fritz 
from his tiger-cat skin, containing a knife, fork, and 
spoon. 

We harnessed both the cow and the ass to the 
sledge. Juno accompanied us, but Turk remained 
behind as a protection to those at home. We went 
by the sandy shore, and arrived without adventure 
at our storehouse. 


94 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


We unharnessed the animals, leaving them to find 
pasture, while we loaded the sledge, not only with 
the butter-cask, but also with the powder-barrel, the 
cask of cheese, and other articles. So taken up were 
we in this work that we did not notice that our two 
beasts had wandered away across the bridge to the 
opposite shore, and had disappeared. I sent Ernest 
in search of them with the dog, while I sought for 
myself a convenient spot in which to bathe, for the 
heat was very oppressive. 

Wandering towards Safety Bay, I found a little 
creek, enclosed on one side by a marsh overgrown 
with reeds, and on the other by a chain of rocks 
stretching far into the sea ; thus forming a most 
secluded bathing-place. 

I called Ernest ; but, as he did not make his 
appearance, I went to look for him, and was sur- 
prised at finding the youngster lying at full-length, 
in a shady spot, sound asleep ; while the ass and the 
cow which I had sent him to find were grazing be- 
side him. 

‘‘Get up, you lazy fellow!” I said. “These 
animals might have recrossed the bridge, and given 
us a pretty chase ! ’ ’ 

“No fear of that, papa ! ” he replied, as he lazily 
roused himself. ‘ ‘ I removed a few planks from the 
end of the bridge, and it’s not likely they will 
venture over it now.” 

I bid him go and gather a bagful of the salt, which 
he had noticed in the crevices of the rock, while I 
took my bath. 

I found the sea cool and refreshing, and dressed as 
quickly as possible after coming out of the water. 


THE SLEDGE. 


95 

While I was cutting a bundle of reeds, suddenly I 
heard his voice exclaiming — 

“Papa, papa, come quick! I have caught a 
huge fish ! I can scarcely hold him ! ” 

I ran to his aid, and found him stretched upon 



THE BATHING PEACE. 


the bank, and struggling with all his might to re- 
tain an enormous fish, whose efforts threatened to 
draw him into the water, line and all. 

I took the line from his hand, and lengthening it, 
to give the fish a little play, gradually drew it into a 
shallow. Ernest then waded into the water, and 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


96 

put an end to its struggles with a blow of his hatchet. 
I found it was a magnificent fish, apparently of the 
salmon kind, of about fifteen pounds’ weight, which 
would form a most excellent addition to our store of 
provisions, and be most acceptable to mother. 

While Ernest had his bath, I cleaned and sprinkled 
the fish with salt ; and then, harnessing the cattle to 
the sledge, we soon crossed the bridge and reached 
home without difficulty. At once I displayed the 
contents of the sledge before the astonished eyes of 
our dear ones ; and the butter and cheese casks, the 
reeds, the salt, and the fish were all greatly admired 
and praised. 

After unloading, I fed the tired animals, adding 
some salt to their food, which they relished exceed- 
ingly, salt being as necessary to keep them in 
health, as for ourselves. We then sat down to a 
splendid supper of the fish caught by Ernest, and 
some baked potatoes. It was speedily finished, for 
we were wearied out ; and retiring with thankful 
hearts to our hammocks, we were soon fast asleep. 


CHAPTER XV. 

A VOYAGE TO THE WRECK. — THE RAFT. 

E ARLY next morning I told them that I had 
decided upon visiting the vessel, and requested 
Fritz to make preparations. 

Collecting our arms and provisions, I called Ernest 
and Jack to give thefn some parting orders, but they 


A VOYAGE TO THE WRECK.-THE RAFT. 97 

were nowhere to be found. Their mother surmised 
they had gone to dig up a fresh supply of potatoes, 
and we therefore set out without waiting for their 
return. 

Just as we reached the bridge at Jaguar River Jack 
and Ernest suddenly darted out from behind a bush, 
laughing over the trick they had played us. They 
begged that, as they had come so far, I would take 
them with me to the ship. I reproved them, and 
pointed out that this was impossible, for not only 
would they be too many for the boat, but those at 
home would be anxious about them. I therefore 
ordered their immediate return, and was glad of the 
opportunity this gave me to send a message to my 
dear wife that we should remain all night, and she 
was not to feel uneasy. We steered our little boat 
into the current which flowed into Safety Bay, and 
very soon reached the wreck. 

Our first care was to collect materials to make a 
raft, which would carry more than our boat of tubs 
could hold. Choosing a number of empty barrels, 
we nailed them firmly together, and put a flooring 
of planks above, surrounding it with a railing about 
two feet high, thus succeeding in making a first-rate 
raft suitable for our purpose. 

When it was finished we took a survey of the 
vessel, in order to decide what would be the most 
useful things to take back with us. It was now 
evening, and, after a good meal, we retired to the 
captain’s cabin, and slept soundly till daylight. 

The next morning we set to work to load our two 
boats. After stripping the cabins, we took the locks 
from the doors, the bolts from the shutters, and all 
7 


THE SWISS TAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


98 

the furniture and fittings we could move. A couple 
of sea-chests belonging to the ship’s officers proved 
a great prize ; but of still greater value were the 
lockers of the ship’s carpenter and the gun- 
smith. 

The captain’s trunk contained an assortment of 
jewelry, consisting of gold and silver watches, chains, 
buckles, studs, and a snuff-box, most probably in- 
tended as presents, or as stock for trade in a new 
colony, and a cash-box full of money. But we were 
better pleased to find a number of young European 
fruit-trees and plants, which had been most carefully 
packed for the voyage, and I recognized among them 
the pear, apple, orange, almond, peach, chestnut 
and vine — fruit which in our dear native Swiss 
home we had so often enjoyed. 

We found, also, a number of strong iron bars ; a 
grindstone, a wagon, and cart wheels ; a complete 
set of smith’s tools, hatchets and shovels ; chains, 
iron and copper wire; a plough-share; a handmill, 
and not least important, several sacks full of maize, 
peas, oats, and other grain : in a word, a seemingly 
inexhaustible store of articles expressly provided for 
the support of a European colony to be founded in 
the Southern ocean. There were also parts of a 
sawmill, which we thought might be fitted together 
with little trouble, if we had strength enough to lift 
it, as the pieces were all numbered. 

And now the question arose, which of these valu- 
able things should we take with us, and which leave 
behind ? 

I decided to take some powder and shot, iron, lead 
and grain ; together with the fruit-trees and tools ; 


A VOYAGE TO THE WRECK.— THE RAFT . gg 

and of these to place on the raft, and in our tub-boat, 
as much as we could possibly carry. 

Among other things we had found a mariner’s 
compass, and two harpoons used in whale fishing, 
and Fritz begged me to fasten one of the latter to 
the bow of our little boat. 

At length, when we were loaded with as much as 
could safely be carried, we fastened the raft to our 
tub-boat by ropes firmly attached at each corner, 
and, not without fear of disaster, we hoisted the sail 
and directed our course towards the shore. The 
wind assisted us, and we got along without meeting 
with the least impediment. 

As we drew near the land, Fritz saw a strange- 
looking body moving on the waves, and asked me 
to examine it through the telescope. I soon recog- 
nized it to be a large turtle floating asleep on the 
surface of the water, and entirely unconscious of 
our approach. 

As Fritz begged me to steer towards it, I complied 
with his desire ; but the next moment a violent 
shock caused the boat to rock, while a noise as of a 
rope running through a reel was followed by a sec- 
ond shock and a rapid rushing forward of the boat. 

“What is the matter, Fritz? ” I cried in alarm. 

“ I have him — I have him safe ! ” cried the youth 
eagerly ; and I saw at once that my boy had really 
struck the turtle with the harpoon, and that the 
wounded animal, in its violent exertions to escape, 
was rapidly swimming and drawing the boat after it 
at a terrific speed. 

I pulled down the sail and scrambled to the fore- 
part of the boat, intending to cut the cord and set 


IOO 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


the turtle free, but Fritz stood ready with his hatchet 
and begged me to wait, assuring me there was no 
danger. 

“ I can cut the rope instantly, if it is necessary,” 
he said, and I yielded to his request, and returned to 
the helm. 

Drawn by the turtle, we advanced rapidly, but as 
we drew near the shore I noticed that the creature 
was endeavoring to again reach the open sea. The 
wind blew landward, however, and I hoisted the 
sail ; and at last we landed on a soft sloping shore 
not far from Falcon’s Nest. Without delay I jumped 
into the shallow water, and killed the turtle with 
my axe. 

Fritz fired his gun to announce our arrival, and 
as usual all came to greet us. Great was their sur- 
prise, not only at the value of our cargo, but at the 
strange mode by which it had been brought into the 
harbor. 

While my wife and the boys went for the sledge 
on which to remove a part of our load, the rising 
tide carried the raft further up the beach, and on 
ebbing left it almost dry upon the sand. 

The first article to be placed upon the sledge was 
the turtle. It was of enormous size, and weighed 
at least 300 pounds. To keep it in its place, we 
were obliged to pile around it the mattresses and 
other light articles which we had brought on shore. 
To assist the two animals in drawing their heavy 
load, each exerted all his strength, some pushing, 
others pulling, and so, in joyous procession, we set 
off for Falcon’s Nest. 

Our first care on arriving there was to unload the 


A VOYAGE TO THE WRECK.— THE RAFT. IO i 

turtle, and lay him on his back, in order to remove 
the shell, and so get at the delicate flesh. Seizing 
a hatchet, with one blow on the breast of the ani- 
mal, I separated a part of the shell, cutting off as 
much of the flesh with it as would serve for our 
supper. I advised my wife to cook it in the piece 
of shell, adding only a little salt. The head, the 
paws, and the entrails we gave to the dogs, and 
salted the remainder. 

“And the back of the shell,” cried Fritz — “could 
we not make it into a water-trough ? It would be so 
pleasant to have clean fresh water for our bath, or 
for washing our hands. ’ ’ 

“That would indeed be useful,” I replied, “if 
your plan could be carried out. But we should re- 
quire some clay with which to fix it in its place.” 

“Oh, I can supply that,” said Jack, putting in 
his word. “I brought some clay home this morning 
from the banks of the river.” 

“ When you have decided about the water-trough,” 
said Ernest, “ I will show you some white roots that 
I have discovered ; our old sow eats them as if they 
were delicious. They appear to be a sort of horse- 
radish.” 

After examining them carefully, I replied — 

“If I am not mistaken, my boy, you have made 
a most useful discovery. I believe this is the plant 
of which cassava-cakes are made by the inhabitants 
of the West Indies. But it must be carefully pre- 
pared, for it contains a dangerous poison. However, 
it will provide us with a very palatable and nutri- 
tious food, which we can use instead of bread. It is 
from this root that the well-known tapioca is made,” 


102 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


While talking, we had been busily engaged in un- 
loading the sledge, and, that task being now com- 
pleted, I again set off with the three elder boys to 
bring another load from the boat before night set 
in. Frank stayed behind to help his mother to pre- 
pare and cook the flesh of the turtle, so that when 
we returned, tired and hungry, we found a royal dish 
awaiting us. 

We again loaded the sledge with as much as it 
would carry — the two chests, the wagon wheels, the 
hand-mill, and as many of the smaller articles as we 
could find room for. 

The supper of turtle proved delicious ; and after 
prayers we ascended to our berths in the tree, and 
laid ourselves down on the blankets and mattresses 
brought from the ship, and quickly sank into a sweet 
and refreshing sleep. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

CASSAVA BREAD. 

A T daybreak, I got up without rousing any of the 
- others, as I had my doubts about the safety of 
the raft and boat. Harnessing the ass to the 
sledge, I called the dogs, and went down to the 
beach. Both the boat and raft were quite safe, 
though the rising tide had changed their position ; 
and, without delay, I placed upon the sledge a light 
load, and returned with it to Falcon’s Nest. None 
of the family were awake, but at my call they soon 


CASSAVA BREAD . 


103 

appeared, and after a hasty breakfast we repaired 
again to the shore ; for I was anxious to have the 
boats unloaded before noon, that they might be ready 
to float as soon as the tide served. 

By the time we reached Falcon’s Nest with our 
last load, the tide had risen sufficiently, and I at 
once steered, with Fritz and Jack, to Safety Bay ; 
for the beautiful weather, the calm sea, and the fresh 
breeze tempted me again to the wreck. 

It was late in the day when we reached the vessel, 
and I merely collected what could be packed quickly 
and without much trouble. Jack found a wheelbar- 
row ; and Fritz discovered something far more use- 
ful — the ship’s pinnace, carefully packed between 
decks, in pieces, all numbered, with rigging and 
fittings complete, and supplied with two small can- 
non. To raise the boat from its present position, fit 
it together and launch it, would require strength 
and skill, and I saw that it was impossible to 
commence such an undertaking now. I directed the 
boys while they loaded the raft, urging them not to 
lose a moment. Among other articles we put on 
board a copper boiler, a grindstone, two large iron 
plates, a powder cask, a box of flints for the guns, 
several tobacco graters, and two more wheelbarrows 
beside Jack’s. We again set sail ; for I was anxious 
to avoid the land breeze, which generally rose after 
sunset. 

My wife was delighted with our barrows (which 
we filled as full as possible with articles from our 
boat), but she looked rather doubtfully at the iron 
plates and the graters. 

I warmly praised the industry of the two younger 


io4 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


boys, who, during our absence, had collected a splen- 
did store of potatoes, and a large number of cassava 
roots similar to those which Ernest had found on 
tire previous day. As a reward, I gave each of them 
one of the smallest wheelbarrows for their own use. 

The graters and iron plates were lying on the 
ground near us, and my wife, pointing to them, in- 
quired — 

“ Of what use are these things, my dear ? ” 

“They are to assist in providing you with fresh 
bread. ’ ’ 

“I cannot imagine,’ * she exclaimed, “what to- 
bacco graters have to do with new bread ! Besides, 
even if you had flour, where is the baking oven?” 

“ Flat cakes can be baked upon- these iron plates,” 
I replied. “And, as for flour, that can be obtained 
from the cassava-roots. If you will make a couple of 
strong bags of sailcloth, we will try an experiment 
ip bread-baking before we sleep to-night.” 

My wife soon got the bags ready ; but I could see 
that she had not much faith in my powers as a baker, 
for she placed the newly-arrived copper boiler on 
the fire, filled with potatoes, to be ready for our sup- 
per in case the bread-baking should be a failure. 

In the mean time I spread a large sailcloth on the 
ground, and set each of the boys to work with a 
grater and one of the carefully-washed cassava roots. 
In a short time we had a heap of what appeared to 
be moist white sawdust. 

When a sufficient quantity had been scraped, I 
filled the bags, and sewed up the ends tightly, so 
that when pressed only the poisonous sap might flow 
out between the threads of the cloth. 


CASSAVA BREAD. 


105 

To obtain the means of pressing, I laid two or 
three smooth planks on the table ; and, placing the 
bags of flour upon it, covered them with another 
plank. I next took a long beam, and used it as a 



A WELCOME SUPPER. 


lever, by placing one end under the arched root 
of our tree ; then heaping upon the other end lead, 
iron bars, and stones, with every heavy article I 
could find, the sap was very soon seen flowing to 
the ground below. 


106 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

“I think we shall be able to commence bread- 
making soon,” exclaimed Fritz, after a time ; “not 
a drop of juice is falling from the bag now.” 

“I am quite ready, ”$I replied ; “but, before we 
attempt to make bread for ourselves, a cake must 
be baked for the chickens and the monkey ; if they 
eat it, and without harm, we may safely follow their 
example.” 

The bag was opened and the meal spread out to 
dry. I moistened a small quantity with water, and 
adding a little salt kneaded it into a cake, which 
was laid on one of the iron plates over a clear fire 
made between large stones on the earth. As soon 
as the under-side was brown, the cake was turned, 
and, when sufficiently baked, taken out to cool. 

The cake exhaled such a delicious odor, that the 
boys looked with envy as I gave it to the animals ; 
and had I not firmly opposed their longing, they 
would, I believe, have helped themselves. 

I noticed with satisfaction that the fowls were 
eagerly eating up the crumbs, and that Master Nip 
was rapidly munching his piece of the cake with 
great gusto. 

“See, my dear,” I said, addressing my wife, “the 
animals have eaten it all, and we must begin our 
baking operations early to-morrow, if we find that 
our Nip and the fowls are not the worse for what 
they have eaten.” 

We seated ourselves to partake of supper. The 
potatoes were excellent ; and, once more with thank- 
ful hearts and appeased appetites, we retired to our 
castle in the tree. 


THE PINNACE . 


107 


CHAPTER XVII. 

THE PINNACE. 

F INDING next morning that the fowls and the 
monkey were as lively as ever, bread-baking 
for ourselves commenced in earnest. The 
boys were so proud of their performances that each 
ate his own cakes for breakfast ; and a large bowl of 
new milk added to our meal made it a fit repast, 
luxurious enough for a king, while the poultry and 
pigeons came in for a share of the fragments. 

During breakfast I expressed my strong desire to 
pay another visit to the wreck with the three elder 
boys, that we might, if possible, obtain possession 
of the pinnace which we had discovered on the 
previous day, for I was afraid the first change of 
wind might break up the wreck and we should lose 
it. 

My dear wife could not be convinced, at first, 
that there was any necessity for me to venture again 
on the treacherous sea ; but she at length consented, 
on condition that I would on no account remain 
another night on the wreck. 

The boys were delighted, and to secure us against 
all ordinary risks, each of us was provided with one 
of the cork jackets which we had brought from the 
vessel on our previous voyage. Taking food for the 
day, we set sail in our tub-boat, having the raft in 
tow, and in due time reached the ship. 

I directed the boys to load both the raft and the 
boat with the portable things that came first to 


Xo8 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

hand, so that at least we might not return empty, 
while I examined the pinnace. 

To my great satisfaction, I found that as each 
piece of the vessel was carefully laid in its proper 
place and numbered, it could be put together with 
ease and correctness. 

The evening set in before we had half effected 
our purpose, and we reluctantly returned home with 
our load. On reaching Safety Bay, we were de- 
lighted to see mother and little Frank on the shore 
waiting to receive us ! “ We have resolved to remain 
at Tent House, ” said my wife, “as long as you are 
visiting the wreck. It will be a shorter voyage for 
you, and we shall be within sight of each other.’’ 

I knew how little my brave wife liked residing at 
Tent House, and I failed not to thank her for this 
new token of her thoughtfulness. I was glad to be 
able to reward her self-denial by producing the 
things we had brought with us — two casks of salt 
butter, three of flour, some bags of wheat, rice, and 
other grain, with a large number of useful house- 
hold articles and culinary utensils. 

Next morning we returned to the ship ; and an 
entire week was occupied with our voyages to the 
wreck. We started early every morning, and 
returned home in the evening, heavily laden, with 
such articles as seemed likely to be of the slightest 
use to us. 

With incredible labor the pinnace was at last put 
together, and ready to be set free from her prison. 
Her appearance was neat and elegant. She had a 
tiller at her prow, and a small quarter-deck, on 
which to raise a mast and sail, like a cutter, and 


THE PINNACE. 


I09 

being of a light build would not draw much water. 
We carefully caulked all the joints and seams with 
pitch and tow, and on the quarter-deck we placed 
two small brass cannons, which we secured with 
chains in the usual manner on board ship. 

But now the greatest difficulty remained. There 
sat the beautiful thing, immovable in its prison ; 
and the thought that a storm might arise, and 
destroy both it and the wreck, led -me to determine 
upon a most risky project. 

I filled an old iron mortar (such as is used for 
pounding in by chemists), which we found in the 
steward’s room, with gunpowder, and covered it 
securely with the end of a stout plank, in which I 
cut a groove and laid a train of gunpowder. Then, 
having contrived a fuse, which I thought would 
burn for an hour before reaching the powder, I 
closed every crevice with tar, and bound the whole 
together with chains and ropes to one of the largest 
bulkheads next the sea, on the side from which I 
calculated that the recoil of an explosion would set 
the pinnace free, yet without injuring it. Ordering 
the boys on board the tub-boat, I returned below 
deck, lighted the fuse, and hastily embarking, 
steered away from the wreck with a beating heart. 

We reached the shore, and were unloading the 
ratt, when a sudden and frightful noise on the sea, 
like thunder, made all stand aghast. My wife was 
the first to recover presence of mind. 

“The sound seemed to come from the wreck ! ” 
said she. “And look at the smoke ! I hope, my 
dear husband, you have not left any fire near the 
powder ! ” 


no 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


‘‘There is nothing to fear,” I said. “Boys, I 
must go back and see what has happened. Who 
will go with me? ” 

Without a word the three boys sprang into the 
boat, while I remained behind for a moment to 
whisper a word of explanation to my anxious wife, 
and to assure her there was no danger. 

We quickly rowed out of the bay, and I saw with 
satisfaction that the side of the vessel nearest us 
remained unchanged. With a light heart I steered 
to the other side, and was amazed at the destruction 
caused by my petard. The greater portion of the 
ship’s side had been shattered, and the fragments 
were floating on the water ; while through the 
aperture we could see the pinnace, fully exposed to 
view, and uninjured. 

“ It is ours ! ” I cried in delight. “ The beauti- 
ful pinnace is ours ! ” 

We climbed through the opening, and found, to 
our great delight, that with the aid of a pulley and 
lever we could push the pinnace from the wreck, for 
I had taken the precaution to place rollers under the 
keel. 

Attaching a short cable to the head, and remov- 
ing the timbers we had placed to keep it in position, 
we threw our united strength into the performance, 
and saw her glide slowly and majestically into the 
sea. We wished to surprise mother and little Frank 
with her wonderful appearance, so leaving her safe 
on the side of the wreck farthest from the shore, we 
returned to Tent House for the night, and explained 
that the explosion of some gunpowder had injured 
the wreck, but that so many useful things were left 


THE PINNACE. 


Ill 


uninjured among the stores as to require us revisit- 
ing it next day. 

On returning in the morning, we found much to 
do. We got in the mast and spars, put up the rig- 



THE SHIP’S PINNACE. 

ging and fully equipped our elegant little vessel. 
This occupied us two days. We loaded the craft 
with an ample cargo, including many articles too 
bulky for our boat, and when all was ready we set 


112 


THE SWISS FA MIL V ROBINSOH. 


sail. My boys obtained permission, as a reward for 
their industry, to salute their mamma, as we entered 
the bay, by firing our two guns. I acted as pilot. 
Fritz was appointed captain, and Ernest and Jack, 
at his command, put their matches to the guns, and 
fired. My wife and little boy rushed out in their 
alarm, but our joyful shouts reassured them ; and 
they were ready to welcome us with astonishment 
and delight. Mooring the vessel at the landing- 
place at the mouth of the river, Fritz placed a plank 
from the pinnace to the shore, and assisted his 
mother to come on board. They then fired a new 
salute, and christened the new vessel u The Eliza- 
beth ,” after their dear mother. 

Leaving our little fleet safely moored, we followed 
the river to the cascade, where we saw a neat garden 
laid out in beds and walks. “We have not been 
idle : this is my work and Frank’s,” explained my 
wife. “We found the earth soft enough for us to 
dig and prepare. Here,” she continued, “I have 
planted potatoes ; yonder are fresh cassava roots ; on 
this side I have sowed lettuce, cabbages, and other 
vegetables, and near them we have left a space for 
you to plant a border of maize and bamboo canes.” 

Leading us further on, and pointing to another 
division, she said, “This will do nicely for our fruit 
garden, if you will plant here the fruit-trees you 
found on the wreck ; and yonder I have sowed a 
quantity of each sort of grain which you brought 
from the vessel. Water,” she added, “can be 
easily brought from the neighboring waterfall ; and 
I have little doubt that the plants will grow and 
thrive, and we shall have a flourishing orchard.” 


THE walk To Calabash wood. II3 

“ You have performed wonders, dear wife,” I ex- 
claimed, after examining the fruitful spot ; and then, 
as the sunset was approaching, we unloaded our 
vessels, secured our pinnace to the shore by means of 
a rope from the bow, and loading the sledge with 
things for our immediate wants, we took the road to 
Falcon’s Nest. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE WALK TO CALABASH WOOD. 

I HAVE always felt that it was our duty to make 
the lives of our young people as agreeable as 
possible, and to introduce such variety into their 
occupations as would prevent the “daily round” 
becoming wearying and irksome. 

After our mid-day meal, I therefore desired my 
boys to let me see their dexterity in such athletic 
sports as leaping, running, wrestling, and climbing, 
which, in addition to developing their bodily 
strength, would give them greater confidence in 
times of threatened danger. Nothing makes a man 
so timid and fearful as a want of confidence in his 
physical strength. 

I also advised my boys to practice running up and 
down the rope-ladder that led to our room in the 
tree, and also to learn how to climb up a loose rope, 
which I suspended . from a high branch. I made 
knots here and there in the rope at first ; but after a 
little practice they managed to climb and descend 
8 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


I14 

with very few knots, and at last were able to go 
hand over hand with legs crossed, on a smooth rope 
and without assistance, as sailors do. 

I next fixed for them another weapon, and pro- 
ceeded to teach them its use. Tying a ball of lead 
to each end of a piece of rope about six feet long, I 
replied, in answer to their inquiries, that I was try- 
ing to make what is called a lasso, as used by the 
Mexicans and settlers in South America. Holding 
one end of the rope in the hand they swing the 
other end of it round or over their heads, and throw 
it with such power and swiftness that the animal 
they wish to capture is caught by the flying rope, 
which twists round its body and limbs, and renders 
it unable to move. “The Mexicans,” I added, 
“are so skilful with the lasso that they will throw it 
while riding on horseback at full speed, and they 
seldom fail in securing their prey alive, or in killing 
it.” 

I made a trial of the lasso on the stump of a 
tree, and the rope wrapped itself so securely round 
it that the boys were more eager than ever to try 
the new weapon. Fritz speedily became skilful in 
throwing it, and I encouraged the rest to persevere 
in acquiring the same dexterity, as the weapon 
might be an invaluable resource when our ammuni- 
tion failed. 

The next morning I saw that the sea was too rough 
for any expedition in the boats, and we therefore 
determined to spend the day in home employments. 
We examined our stores for winter provision. My 
wife showed me a quantity of cakes of cassava- 
bread, carefully prepared. We also planted the 


THE WALK TO CALABASH WOOD. 


115 

young fruit-trees brought from Europe in the piece 
of ground my wife had laid out for an orchard. 

The day wore away in these employments, and 
we went next morning in pursuit of game to recruit 
our larder. At break of day we all started, taking 
with us the sledge, which contained our provision 
for the day, and on which we purposed to bring back 
any game we might secure. Turk formed the 
advanced guard ; my sons followed with their guns ; 
then came my wife with Francis leading the ass ; 
and I closed the procession with Nip mounted on 
the patient Juno. 

Passing through Flamingo Marsh, my wife and 
the younger boys, who had not seen the place be- 
fore, were filled with admiration. Fritz, eager for 
some brilliant exploit, soon disappeared along with 
Turk, and we were presently startled by the noisy 
bark of the dog as an enormous bird rose in the air. 
A shot from Fritz brought it to the ground ; but it 
was only slightly wounded, and with incredible 
strength it defended itself against both the dogs, for 
Juno, who could not look on, threw her little rider 
from her back to join in the chase. 

Anxious to secure the bird (which was a fine 
bustard) without killing it, I threw my handker- 
chief over its head, tied its legs together, and 
released the wounded wing from the jaws of Juno. 
I wished to preserve it alive in the hope of taming 
it as an addition to our farmyard. We bound it 
carefully and placed it on the sledge, and resumed 
our journey to the cocoanut wood, in which little 
Nip’s mother had been killed by the dogs. 

Ernest stopped suddenly as he espied the beauti- 


n6 THE SIV/SS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

ful cluster of nuts which hung from the higher 
branches of a magnificent cocoa-palm'. “Oh, how 
terribly high the nuts are ! I wish one would fall 
down ! ” he exclaimed. 

Hardly had he uttered the words when, as if by 
magic, down dropped a nut at his feet. A second 
followed, much to our astonishment. “Why, 
papa,” cried the boy, “this is just like the fairy 
tale of the wishing cap. No sooner is a wish formed 
in the mind than it is granted.” 

The boy cautiously picked up the nuts, and 
brought them to me. Presently two more fell, when 
Fritz cried out, “ See papa, here comes the sorcerer. 
I have discovered him.” 

Slowly and steadily a hideous creature glided 
down the trunk of the tree, but before it could reach 
the ground Jack struck at it with the butt-end of 
the gun. He missed his blow, however, and the 
animal, with gaping claws, advanced towards his 
assailant. 

The little fellow defended himself bravely, but 
all his strokes failed to reach the animal. At last 
the boy stood still, took off his jacket, held it 
extended in both hands, advanced cautiously towards 
his adversary, and suddenly threw it over the animal; 
then, wrapping the jacket completely round the 
creature’s body, I seized my hatchet, and with a 
few strokes killed the monster land-crab, as we 
found it to be. 

Placing our prize on the sledge, I explained that 
the land-crab lives upon nuts, the shells of which 
he opens as much by skill as strength, perforating 
them through the holes at the narrow end of the 


the; WAIyK TO CALABASH WOOD. (II7) 





H8 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

nut, and that it is no mean adversary for a boy to 
meet and conquer. 

We went on our journey very slowly on account 
of a thick growth of tall grass and underwood and 
the tendrils of creeping plants. At times we had to 
stop, and with our axes cut a way for the sledge, 
but, after pushing on for some distance through the 
thicket, we came to a clearing, and saw before us, 
near the seashore, the beautiful calabash-trees, form- 
ing a delightful shelter. The splendid trees and 
their singular fruit excited both wonder and surprise. 
While explaining to my boys the varied forms of 
the gourds, we set to work to make from them a 
good supply of such household vessels as we needed, 
viz., flasks, bowls, and plates, for the ones we had 
made in our previous expedition were, by this time, 
almost all worn out. 

Being fatigued with our work, we sat down under 
the shade of the trees and took some refreshment. 
Ernest, with his brothers, then set off to search for 
water and to explore the wood. Suddenly we saw 
him running to us in great terror, shouting, “A 
wild boar, papa ! a wild boar ! n Fritz and I seized 
our guns, and, with the dogs, ran to the spot he 
pointed out. 

We heard barking and loud grunting as though a 
combat had begun, and hoping for a good prize we 
rushed forward. We found the dogs holding by the 
ears, not a wild boar, but our own sow, whose way- 
ward disposition had caused her to leave us and live 
in the woods ! We could not but laugh at our 
alarm, and calling off the dogs I released the poor 
sow, who resumed her feast on a species of apples, 


THE WALK TO CALABASH WOOD. 


II 9 

which appeared to have fallen from the tree. I 
picked up one of them, and found it to resemble a 
medlar, rich and juicy in flavor, but did not venture 
to eat it till we had put it to the usual test. We 
collected a quantity, and I also broke off a loaded 



THE SOW AND THE DOGS. 


branch from the tree. On presenting one to Nip he 
ate it with great relish. Satisfied with this test, I 
examined the fruit more carefully, and decided that 
it must be the guava , a luscious South American 
fruit ; we therefore ate some ourselves, and found 
them pleasant and refreshing. 

Jack, who had set off with his gun, had scrambled 


I2 o THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

through a thicket and up a rocky mound at a little 
distance ; but no sooner had he reached the summit 
than he stood still with a horror-stricken face, as if 
unable to move, and exclaimed, “Papa, papa, a 
crocodile, a crocodile ! ” 



THE GUAVA. 


I was inclined to smile at his simplicity, knowing 
that such a monstrous reptile was not likely to be 
found in so unsuitable a locality. U A crocodile!” 
I replied. “So far from the water as this ? That 
would indeed be singular.” However, we all rushed 
to the spot, and I recognized a large lizard, named 


THE WALK TO CALABASH WOOD . I2 i 

the iguana , the eggs and flesh of which are much 
esteemed as delicious eating in the West Indies. 

Fritz raised his gun to fire, but I checked him. 
“Steady, my boy,” I said. “You must not be so 
rash. These creatures have a wonderful tenacity of 



THE SLEEPING IGUANA. 


life, and we must use other means to capture our 
booty.” 

I cut a strong stick, and fastened a string to the 
end of it with a slip-knot. In my left hand I car- 
ried a light switch, and slowly approaching the 
sleeping creature, I whistled softly as I drew nearer. 




122 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


The animal presently awoke, and raised his head to 
listen. I advanced with caution until near enough 
to pass my slip-knot round his neck, still continuing 
to whistle, and made him captive with ease. I 
dragged him to the foot of the rock, turned him 
over on his back, and forthwith despatched him. 

We could not think of leaving such a valuable 
prize behind us, and as our sledge was a long way 
off, I resolved to carry the creature on my back. 
The boys followed to support the tail, for the weight 
was heavy, and laughed at the ludicrous figure I pre- 
sented with my unusual load. 

We chose the shortest way back ; but long before 
we reached Frank and his mother, our long absence 
had alarmed them. All trouble was, however, 
speedily forgotten when we began to recount our 
adventure ; for many questions were asked, and 
much had to be related ; but it was already growing 
late, and we began to feel hungry. 

As it was quite impossible to prepare a piece of 
the iguana for dinner, we were obliged to content 
ourselves with the cold provisions we had brought 
with us. I readily gave the boys permission to eat 
some of the guavas, and never, I believe, was fruit 
so thoroughly enjoyed. It was so full of juice that 
it supplied the place of water, and our thirst was 
thereby relieved. 

Refreshed and strengthened, my wife proposed 
that we should prepare to turn our steps homeward, 
so we started for Falcon’s Nest, and soon entered a 
wood of majestic evergreen oaks, beneath which lay 
a quantity of acorns, on which the bustard fed with 
great eagerness. Before night set in we were at 


THE LAST OF THE WRECK. 


123 


home ; and a piece of iguana’s flesh, baked with 
potatoes, formed our supper, after which, with 
thankful hearts, we retired to rest in our aerial dor- 
mitory, and slept soundly till morning. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

THE LAST OF THE WRECK. 

M Y next work was a much more difficult under- 
taking, and for a long time it seemed imprac- 
ticable. The sledge was not only inconvenient 
but very heavy for our animals to draw ; but as we 
had brought four cartwheels from the wreck, I deter- 
mined to try and construct a little cart, and after 
some difficulty succeeded in building a sort of car- 
riage, which, though clumsy in appearance, would, 
I knew, be very useful. 

While I was thus employed my wife and some of 
the boys went daily to Tent House to plant the Eu- 
ropean seeds which I had brought from the wreck. 
As I wished also to make the rocks at Tent House a 
kind of fortification (for all our ammunition lay 
there), I resolved to choose two slight elevations 
near the river, on which to fix the two cannon from 
the pinnace, and also a thick hedge of Indian fig 
and other thorny plants of the cactus kind around 
the whole spot. 

These operations employed us day by day for six 
weeks ; but the hard work had completely worn out 


124 


THE SWISS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


our clothes, for our wardrobe was scanty ; and this, 
with other reasons, made me consider it advisable to 
return once more to the wreck. I wished, if possi- 
ble, to bring away some large chests, and one or two 
more of the cannon to place on the heights of our 
fortification. 

Accordingly, on the first fine day, I set out in the 
pinnace for the wreck with the three elder boys. 
We found everything almost as we had left it ; but 
the wind and waves had done considerable damage. 
The sailors’ chests were in fairly good condition, 
and these we placed on board the pinnace, as well 
as a quantity of powder and shot, and two small 
cannon. 

On our next trip we towed our tub-boat behind 
the pinnace, and loaded it with planks, doors, win- 
dow-shutters, locks and bolts, and as many other 
valuable things as we could possible carry. In fact, 
we plundered the wreck of every useful article, and 
I then resolved to blow the hull up with gunpowder, 
in the hope that the wind and the waves would cast 
on shore planks and beams (as well as other articles 
suitable for house building), which were too bulky 
for us to move or bring away in our boats. I had 
noticed four large copper cauldrons, which I thought 
might be saved, and as they were too heavy to move, 

I attached to them several empty casks strong enough 
to support them when the ship broke up. 

When all was ready for our last voyage home I 
placed a barrel of powder in the hold of the ship, 
fastened a fuse to it carefully, and lighting it, sprang 
into the boat. The boys were already seated, and 
with outspread sail we made towards the shore. 


THE LAST OF THE WRECK. 


125 

We had scarcely reached Safety Bay when a 
mighty roar as of thunder resounded from the rocks, 
and at the same moment a brilliant column of fire 
and smoke, shooting into the air, announced that my 
plan had succeeded. A feeling of sadness came over 
ns all. It seemed as if the last link that bound us 
to our dear home was broken, and that we had lost 
in the ship an old and trusted friend. 

Refreshed by a night’s rest, which enabled us to 
shake off all feelings of regret, we hastened to the 
shore, when we saw that the beach was strewn with 
planks and beams ; while on the sea, but rather be- 
yond our reach, floated broken fragments of all de- 
scriptions, and among them the copper cauldrons, 
buoyed up between the casks to which I had fas- 
tened them. Many days were employed in collect- 
ing all these useful articles, in piling them on the 
shore, and in placing the powder casks under the 
cauldrons, covering them with earth and moss, till 
we could store them properly at Tent House. 

My wife, after assisting us with the wreckage, 
made the agreeable discovery that two of our ducks 
and one of the geese had each hatched a brood, and 
she had seen them leading their noisy young fami- 
lies to the water. This reminded us of our domestic 
comforts at Falcon’s Nest, and we determined to 
leave for our shady summer home. 

Day succeeded day, and brought its own work : 
we had no time to be idle nor to lament our separa- 
tion from our old home in Switzerland and the so- 
ciety of mankind in general, and of our dear friends 
in particular. Each of our discoveries or inventions 
was hailed with delight by the boys ; and my wife 


126 


THE SWISS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


and I gave frequent thanks to God for so visibly 
blessing our efforts to make life pleasant in this 
strange land. 


CHAPTER XX. 

THE RAINY SEASON. 

O NE morning a strange noise was heard at a dis- 
tance. I could form no opinion as to the 
animal from which the sounds proceeded, and 
dreaded the attack of some beast of prey. 

We at once prepared for a vigorous defence. We 
mounted to our castle, and stood in anxious expecta- 
tion, with loaded guns, our dogs close at hand. 
Suddenly Fritz, casting aside his gun, rushed for- 
ward, and, bursting into a loud laugh, exclaimed, 
u It is the donkey, papa ! Poor old Grizzle ! ” At 
this moment the sound was repeated, and excited the 
utmost mirth amongst us all, as we recognized the 
unmistakable u he-haws n of our old servant, whom 
we now recaptured with ease. 

But he was not alone. Close by his side was a 
magnificent young wild ass, whose hideous braying 
had first startled us. I set about capturing the 
beast, and with much difficulty succeeded in passing 
a slip-knot over his head. On feeling the rope 
tighten he at once started, and, with a backward 
bound, was turning to fly. But the sudden jerk 
brought him up, and he fell to the ground as if suf- 
focated, for the rope was choking him. 

Loosening the cord, and replacing it by one of our 


THE RAINY SEASON. 


127 


donkey’s halters, I fastened him with two long ropes 
to the roots of our tree, and left him there till hunger 
should complete his subjection. He, however, made 
a brave struggle to regain his liberty. Having 
fettered the fore-legs of the ass, I tethered him be- 
side his wild companion and left them together. 



CAPTURING THE WIED ASS. 


In the course of a few weeks we tamed and 
educated him, and he became so well broken that 
we were able to mount on his back without fear. 
Lightfoot, as we called him, then became a valuable 
addition to our beasts of burden. 

Our stock of animals had by this time become 
large. Three successive hatchings by our fowls had 


128 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

put us in possession of forty little chickens, which 
ran about in all directions, to the delight of my 
wife, who looked upon them as a great accession to 
our security and comfort. 

These additions reminded me of the necessity of 
having a place of shelter for our animals and 
feathered-folk before the rainy season began, which 
I knew could not be far distant, and we now set to 
work to complete a set of stables for our live stock. 

Our winter quarters were at last completed, and 
we had but to stock them with food. Day after day 
we brought provisions of all kinds. 

The weather had become variable and the nights 
chilly ; while showers and a cloudy sky warned us 
of the approach of the rainy season. Our great care 
was now to gather a store of potatoes and cassava 
roots, sugarcanes, cocoanuts, sweet acorns, and all 
kinds of provisions suitable for ourselves and as 
fodder for our animals. We missed more than any- 
thing the wheaten flour of which bread is made in 
our beloved Switzerland ; and all the seeds of wheat 
and other grain that remained in my wife’s wonder- 
ful bag had been sowed, in the hope that the rainy 
season would cause them to germinate, and produce 
an abundant crop by spring. 

Before our arrangements were quite completed, 
the first storm came upon us, and the rain fell in 
torrents day and night. It was impossible for us to 
remain in our sleeping apartment ; and we took 
refuge in the hollow trunk, with whatever provi- 
sions we had at hand. Our homely dwelling was so 
crowded that we could scarcely move, and the smell 
from the stables, the lowing of the cattle, and the 


THE RAINY SEASON. 


129 

noise made by the fowls, together with the suffocat- 
ing smoke when we attempted to light a fire, made 
our situation almost unbearable. 

These difficulties were overcome by degrees. The 
animals were moved further away, and, by piling up 
articles on the winding staircase, we made room 
enough to work during the day and to lie down at 
night. Cooking was dispensed with as far as possible, 
both to spare us the tormenting smoke and to econo- 
mize our dried wood in case of colder weather. 

I determined to discover some better means of 
passing the winter, if the weather would enable me 
to venture out ; but no change took place for nearly 
a week, and during that time we could only subsist 
on the acorns, cocoanuts, cold meat, and potatoes 
that we had brought to our retreat. 

We had hay enough for the animals, and a stock 
of grain for the poultry ; and when these gave out 
they must be turned adrift to forage for themselves. 

While using our hollow tree as a refuge from the 
weather, we were still employed. Fritz and Jack 
taught little Francis to read ; my wife occupied her- 
self with her needle ; while I began a journal of the 
events which had occurred since the shipwreck, and 
the story of our lives in this foreign land. This 
was regarded as a pastime ; and my frequent recourse 
to the memory of the others, with the questions and 
discussions that arose from it, gave all great enjoy- 
ment. 


9 


130 


THE SWISS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


CHAPTER XXL 

THE SALT CAVERN. 

I T is impossible to describe our joy when, after 
three long months of confinement and privation, 
we again gazed on the clear sky and the bright 
sunshine. The sorrows of the winter were forgotten. 
We felt ourselves inspired with new hope, and the 
work which lay before us seemed in our gladness 
but child’s play. 

Our tree plantation was in excellent condition. 
The land we had cultivated was flourishing. The 
seeds we had sown were springing up, and the trees 
were putting forth their young leaves of green. 
The ground was everywhere covered with flowers of 
varied hues, and birds of brilliant plumage made 
the woods resound with song, as if in sympathy with 
us. 

Our first work was at our lodging in the tree. It 
was sadly used up, for the rain had greatly damaged 
the sailcloth roof, and twigs and dried leaves had 
drifted into our sleeping apartment. My wife re- 
minded me of the flax, which required beating, 
combing, and carding before it could be spun or 
woven. 

“You will probably find Tent House worse in- 
jured by the rain than this,” she added; “and 
while you and the older boys are absent I can stay 
here with little Frank, and spin the flax, for you are 
sadly in need of clothes.” 

The manufacture of a spinning-wheel and reel 





. ft 






THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


132 

was by no means an easy task, but by dint of study 
and perseverance I fixed one of the lightest of the 
wheels I had brought from the wreck, and though 
rude and clumsy the machines answered the purpose, 
and my wife was delighted with them. The boys 
prepared the steeped flax, and we thus had, as she 
said, all that would be required for a new supply of 
clothing. 

The damage done at Falcon’s Nest was but tri- 
fling compared to the destruction at Tent House. 
The tent was overthrown, the sailcloth covering 
torn, and so completely soaked were the stores of 
provisions that the greater part of them would have 
been destroyed had we not quickly placed them in 
the sun to dry. Fortunately the pinnace had sus- 
tained no injury, although the tub-boat had been 
knocked about and was now of little value ; and 
two of the three powder-casks were so thoroughly 
wetted as to be rendered useless. 

This latter circumstance led me to study how I 
might fix up winter quarters where such disasters 
could not occur ; and my mind turned to the bold 
project of Fritz — to hollow out a cave in the rocks. 
This was no easy thing with the tools and strength 
at our disposal, and it seemed impossible, except as 
the work of several summers. I determined to hew 
out a place of shelter for our powder stores, and set 
out one morning with Fritz and Jack to make a be- 
ginning of the work. 

After examining the neighboring rocks, I selected 
a part of the cliff which appeared smooth and steep, 
and from the top of which could be seen a most ex- 
tended view of Safety Bay and the two banks of the 


THE SALT CAVERN. 


133 


river. Here I marked with charcoal the outline of 
an opening, and we made ourselves stone-delvers. 

The work was hard, and I despaired of being able 
to complete even a common cellar before the time of 



THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE. 


another rainy season. But on the following day we 
set to work with renewed vigor. The rock under 
the outer surface became softer, and in a few days 
more we had gone a distance of seven feet, when 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


1 34 

Jack, who was trying to bore a hole with a large crow- 
bar, cried out. ‘ k I am through, papa ! I am through ! ’ * 

“Through what, my boy? Not through your hand, 
I hope, and you are certainly not through the moun- 
tain.” 

“Yes, I am, papa ! Hurrah, hurrah ! ” 

“ Quite right, papa,” said Fritz ; “ he is, indeed, 
through. The iron spike has gone right into an 
open space, for I can turn it round as I like.” 

Seizing the bar, I worked it about with such force 
that an opening was soon made large enough for one 
of the boys to slip through, but, as I approached it, 
a puff of foul air rushed out, and for a moment I was 
almost overpowered. “Come away ! ” I cried. “To 
breathe the air from that opening would be certain 
death.” 

I explained to my boys that, under certain cir- 
cumstances, foul air, chiefly gas (commonly called 
carbonic acid gas), accumulates in close caves such 
ast his appeared to be, making the air unfit to breathe, 
and that one of the surest tests of the suitability of 
air to support life is fire ; for a flame will go out in 
air not fit to breathe. Collecting some dry hay, I 
lighted it and threw it into the opening. It was 
immediately extinguished ; so it was clear that we 
must try other measures. 

We had brought from the wreck a case of fire- 
works, such as hand-grenades, rockets, and blue 
lights, intended for signals. I threw the lighted 
grenades into the cave ; and a great explosion fol- 
lowed, and the gas rushing out was replaced by pure 
air. We sent in some rockets, which flew around 
like fiery dragons, and after waiting a little while I 


THE SALT CAVERN. 


I 35 

again made trial of the lighted grass. It blazed 
freely, showing that all danger was removed. 

We were in ignorance of the depth of this unex- 
pected cavern ; so I sent for a supply of our wax 
candles, that we might explore this wonderful vault. 

The appearance of the grotto startled us with its 
wonderful beauty. The lights that we carried were 
reflected on the walls in golden light ; the columns, 
which rose from the floor to the vaulted roof, 
sparkled and glittered with all the colors of the 
rainbow. Crystals hung from the roof in fantastic 
forms, and the whole aspect of the place was that of 
some fairy palace ; while the floor was covered with 
soft, firm sand, that showed no trace of dampness. 

I recalled descriptions I had read of salt-mines in 
Poland, and, breaking off a bit of the crystal and 
putting it to my mouth, I found that we were in a 
cavern of crystallized rock-salt. Not the least of 
its advantages would be that both ourselves and our 
cattle would now be provided with a never-failing 
supply of this condiment (so necessary to health), 
instead of the precarious and unsatisfactory one we 
had hitherto depended upon, viz., that left by the 
evaporation of the sea water in crevices of the rocks. 

Our admiration of the cavern knew no bounds. 
Plan after plan was proposed for turning it to advan- 
tage, and our inventive powers were newly excited 
by this fresh opportunity for their exercise. 

It was at last decided that Falcon’s Nest should 
continue to be our summer residence and sleeping 
quarters, but that the entire day was to be spent at 
Tent House, while we prepared a winter home at 
what we now called our Rock Castle. 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


*36 


CHAPTER XXII. 

A SHOAL OF HERRINGS. 

N OTHING was talked of but the new house, 
how it should be arranged, and how fitted up. 
As the inner portion of the rock which we had 
pierced before reaching our grotto was soft, and since 
I anticipated it would harden rapidly on exposure 
to the air, I resolved to at once make such cuttings 
as were necessary. 

Openings were first hewn out of the rock to admit 
light and air, and the doors and windows we had 
brought from the wreck were carried from Falcon’s 
Nest and fixed in position. The immense space was 
then divided into several apartments. At the right 
of the entrance were to be our dwelling and sleeping 
rooms, and at the left our kitchen, workshop and 
stables. The smaller division, which was so deep 
in the cave that no windows could be made in it, I 
determined to use as cellars, storehouses, and maga- 
zines. I hoped by degrees to supply doors and other 
additions needful for a comfortable dwelling-house ; 
and though our work went slowly on, we labored 
with cheerful goodwill, and did not doubt that we 
could take up our abode in it before winter set in. 

Our residence at Tent House, in consequence of 
our employment, revealed several advantages which 
we had not foreseen. Turtles came ashore to de- 
posit their eggs in the sand, and from their flesh we 
had many a sumptuous meal. When more than one 


A SHOAL OF HERRINGS. 


137 


appeared at a time, we used to cut off their retreat 
to the sea, by turning them on their backs, and then 
fastening them to a stake driven close to the water’s 



CAPTURING TURTLES. 


edge by a cord passed through a hole in the shell. 
We thus had a fresh turtle always within reach, for 
they throve well, and were in as good condition after 


1 38 the SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

several weeks as others freshly caught. But this 
was not all. A fresh surprise awaited us. 

One morning we were attracted by a most singular 
phenomenon. The waters out at sea were curiously 
agitated, and as they heaved and boiled, struck by 
the beams of the morning sun, they seemed illumi- 
nated by flashes of fire. Over the water where this 
disturbance was taking place hovered hundreds of 
birds, screaming loudly, and ever and anon darting 
downward and plunging beneath the water. 



HERRING. 


Suddenly this extraordinary mass advanced to 
the bay, and we found the unusual appearance to be 
caused by a shoal of herrings many leagues in ex- 
tent, and several feet deep. 

We lost no time in putting in for a share of the 
spoil, and soon our fishery was in full operation. 
Fritz and Jack stood in the water with baskets, and, 
baling out the fish, threw them on the sand. 

My wife and Ernest dressed and rubbed them with 
salt, and I placed them in small barrels, a layer of 
herrings and one of salt alternately. This occupied 


A SHOAL OF HERRINGS. 


I 39 

us several days, at the end of which time a dozen 
or more barrels of excellent salted provisions were 
secured against the winter’s need. A still larger 
quantity was slit up and hung on lines under the 
roof of a small hut of reeds. A fire of green moss 
and brushwood was then lighted under them which 
threw out a dense smoke. This smoke effectually 
preserved or cured the fish, imparting to them, at the 
same time, a very pleasant flavor. 

I also found a sailor’s empty chest on the shore, 
in the sides of which I bored holes, and, putting 
into it heavy stones, sank it among the rocks. Here 
it formed a pot for crabs and lobsters, which were 
drawn by the attractive bait of the refuse of the 
herrings, and by this contrivance we obtained a 
constant supply, the chest being secured by a chain. 

Fearing that a change in the weather might come 
upon us before we expected it, we resumed the work 
of fitting up our rock-castle. I found, on closer in- 
spection, that the crystallized salt of the cavern had 
for its base a species of gypsum. 

Breaking off several pieces, and carrying them to 
Tent House, I heated them red-hot in the fire, and 
then reduced them to powder. This, when mixed 
with water, made a beautiful white plaster, which 
was afterwards of great use to us. 

Fortunately, in this beautiful climate, little or no 
attention was necessary for the kitchen-garden ; the 
seeds sprang up and flourished with apparently not 
the slightest regard for time or for the season of the 
year. We had always a succession of delicious fruits 
and vegetables. Peas, beans, wheat, barley, rye, 
and maize seemed to be constantly ripening ; while 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


140 

cucumbers, melons, pineapples, and all sorts of 
other vegetables grew luxuriantly. The moisture 
caused by the heavy rains had no doubt helped to 
produce this result. I therefore was encouraged to 
hope that the experiments at Falcon’s Nest had 
proved equally successful ; and we started one morn- 
ing to visit the spot. On our way, we passed the 
large field in which my wife had sown the European 
grain, after the potatoes had been taken from the 
ground. 

In one part was barley, in another wheat ; and 
further on we saw rye, peas, millet, and field-beans 
in great profusion and luxuriauce, all for the most 
part nearly ready for cutting. 

“The harvest has begun already, has it not? ” I 
asked, as an immense flock of birds rose in the air, 
startled by the dogs, and alarmed by our approach. 

Fritz released his eagle, which he always carried 
hooded and perched on his game-bag. The bird had 
by this time become very tractable, and when Fritz 
uncovered its eyes, and threw it aloft after one of 
the fugitives, it seemed to scare the whole flock. 
Singling out a large quail, the eagle pounced upon 
its frightened quarry, and would have made an end 
of its life in a moment had not Fritz been close at 
hand to release it from his bird’s talons. 

The greater part of this day was spent in securing 
seed-grain for another year’s sowing, and in making 
preparations for a little excursion which had been 
proposed for the following day. 


FURTHER WORK AND DISCOVERIES. 


141 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

FURTHER WORK AND DISCOVERIES. 

I T was a project of my wife’s to establish a kind 
of farm for our animals at some distance from 
Falcon’s Nest, where they would be secure and 
would find sustenance for themselves ; for they had 
become too numerous for our limited means to sup- 
ply them with food. Twelve young fowls, four pigs, 
aud two pair each of sheep and goats, were accord- 
ingly spared from our stock for this purpose, and 
placed in the cart with provisions, and such tools 
and other utensils as we should need. 

Fritz went before to reconnoitre, and we took our 
way to a part of our domain which had not yet been 
explored. We had great difficulty, at first, in get- 
ting through the high grass, and had frequent re- 
course to our hatchets, till we reached the opposite 
end of the wood, where we saw before us an open 
plain, on which grew numbers of low bushes. They 
seemed to be covered with snowflakes, if that had 
been possible, and Fritz presently brought me a 
branch loaded with beautiful white down, which, to 
my great joy, I found to be cotton. 

It was a discovery of inestimable value to us, and 
filled my wife with delight. We gathered all that 
could be contained in three capacious bags, and re- 
sumed our journey, which took us to the summit of 
a pretty wooded hill. The view was lovely. Lux- 
uriant grass at our feet stretched down a hillside 


142 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


dotted here and there with shady trees, among which 
a bright, limpid brook rippled over a rocky bed, 
while beyond lay the rich verdant forest, with the 
sea extending to the distant horizon. 

What better situation could we hope to find for 
our new stock-farm ? Pasture, water, shade, and 



THE COTTON PEA NT. 


shelter, all were here. We accordingly pitched our 
tent, and at once began the erection of a shed. 

The group of trees I had selected for our farm- 
stead stood near together, and formed an oblong, the 
longest side facing the sea. In the trunks of these, 
at a suitable distance from the ground, I cut notches, 


FURTHER WORK AND DISCOVERIES. ^3 

and then, placing beams across, formed a sloping 
roof and the skeleton of the building. 

Having fastened the beams with nails, I covered 
the roof with pieces of bark, cut in squares, and se- 
cured them with the thorns of the acacia, which we 
found growing here. Our nails were too precious 
for lavish use. 

With wild vines, reeds, and brushwood, I wove 
together the outer walls, and in the open space 
above made trellis work to give a circulation of air 
and an entrance to light. The interior was divided 
into two apartments of unequal size — one of which 
contained the stalls for the cattle and a place shut 
off with palings for the fowls ; and the other sleep- 
ing apartments for ourselves, when we should need 
to pay the place a visit. Above, we made a loft, 
where fodder could be stored. 

As all this took us several days — in fact, longer 
then we anticipated — our stock of provisions began 
to fail us. I therefore sent Fritz and Jack to Fal- 
con’s Nest to obtain a fresh supply, and to look after 
the animals and fowls we had left, and give them 
food for ten or twelve days. 

They took the ass with them to draw the cart in 
which to pack our provisions ; and during their ab- 
sence, Ernest and myself made an excursion into 
the neighborhood to learn more of the country in 
the vicinity of our farm. Crossing a winding stream, 
we reached a large marsh, where the rice-plant grew 
wild in great luxuriance ; and a little further on, 
Master Nip, who nearly always went with us, made 
a sudden dart into a thicket, where I found him re- 
galing himself with strawberries, that were not 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


144 

only quite ripe but of most delicious aroma and 
flavor. 

Having refreshed ourselves with them, we filled 
the basket which Master Nip had been taught to 
carry on his back (covering it with a thick layer of 
leaves), lest it should please him to overturn and 
dispose of his burden. I also pulled some of the 
rice, that we might ascertain whether it would serve 
us as food. Continuing our walk, we came presently 
to a pretty lake, which we had already admired from 
a distance. On account of the number of swans we 
saw on its banks, and sailing on its placid waters, 
we called it Swan Lake. 

It was now, however, time to return to the farm, 
as our messengers might soon arrive ; and, sure 
enough, in about a quarter of an hour after we got 
back, Fritz and Jack made their appearance, and 
gave an account of their mission. 

I was pleased to see that they had not only car- 
ried out all my directions and commissions, but had 
also brought with them other articles which they 
judged would be useful in carrying out my plans. 
We therefore stayed some days longer, completed our 
new structure, and stored it with a good supply of 
fodder and grain. 

Having provided amply for the animals, we then 
left the farm (which we had named Wood Grange), 
on a new excursion that I had long thought about. 

Loading our cart, we set off in the direction of 
Cape Disappointment, and after walking a short 
distance we reached a wood. Here we were received 
by an enormous number of apes, who kept up a 
series of the most unearthly cries, and assailed us 


FURTHER WORK AND DISCOVERIES. 


145 

with a perfect hailstorm of pine cones, and it was 
only by firing our guns, loaded with small shot, that 
we could disperse them. 

Fritz picked up one of the cones, and I recognized 
it as that of the stone pine. 

“ Gather some,” I said, “ by all means. You will 
find that the kernel has a pleasant taste, like that of 
the almond, and. by pressing we can obtain an excel- 
lent oil from them.” 

After leaving the wood we soon drew near to the 
Cape. The view from the summit of the little hill 
was so beautiful that I decided to make another es- 
tablishment here. Profiting by our experience, the 
work was far easier to us now, and in six days we 
had a pretty little rustic abode, to which, at Ernest’s 
suggestion, we gave the name of “Prospect Hill.” 

Much as we had done, the end for which our 
expedition had been planned was yet unfulfilled, 
for I had not met with a tree which suited me for 
making a boat, and which I had specially come in 
search of. 

We returned to the wood for a closer inspection 
of the trees, and I at last fixed upon a kind of oak, 
the bark of which was closer than that of the Eu- 
ropean oak, and more resembled that of the cork 
tree. The trunk was at least five feet in diameter, 
and I fancied that its coating, if I could obtain it 
whole, would perfectly answer my purpose. I 
marked a circle at the foot, and with a small saw 
cut the bark entirely through. Fritz attached the 
rope ladder, which we had brought with us, to the 
tree, and sawed a similar circle eighteen feet above 
mine. We then cut out perpendicularly a slip of 


10 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


146 

the whole length, and, after removing it, had room 
to insert wedges and other tools for loosening the 
whole bark. It was a difficult matter, but we suc- 
ceeded at last, and I began my boat while the mate- 
rial was fresh and flexible. 

From each end of the roll of bark I cut a wedge- 
shaped piece about five feet long, and closed the 
edges with pegs and strong cement, so that they 
formed a point at each extremity. Having, by so 
doing, widened it too much in the middle, we put 
strong ropes around, and drew it into the form we 
desired, and left it to dry and harden in the sun. 
As this was all that I could do without other tools, 

I despatched Fritz and Jack for the sledge, that the 
canoe might be transported to the vicinity of Tent 
House. During their absence the boat dried into a 
proper shape, and I cut some naturally curved 
branches from a tree growing near, just suited for 
ribs, to support and strengthen the sides. These 
greatly improved its shape. 

When the lads returned, it was time to rest for 
the night ; but with early dawn we were again 
busily at work, and placing our canoe on the sledge, 
we loaded it with all that it would hold, and 
reached Tent House some time before sunset. We 
were too tired to do anything more that night. 
With renewed energy, however, we set to work next 
morning, and the boat was soon ready to be 
launched. 

It was lined with wood and furnished with a keel 
and seats. Instead of ballast, I laid at the bottom 
a layer of stones covered with clay, and over this a 
a flooring of boards, while in the middle rose a 


MORE IMPROVEMENTS. 


H7 

movable bamboo mast with a triangular sail. The 
stern was neatly fitted with a rudder, and the whole 
was well pitched outside to make it watertight. 
Wheii our labors were completed we were delighted 
with its elegant appearance in the water, and felt 
that we were now amply provided with means Tor 
making marine excursions — the pinnace for distant 
voyages and the canoe for short excursions along 
the coast. 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

MORE IMPROVEMENTS. 

W HILE this work was in progress we were not 
unmindful of the necessity for completing 
our winter residence before the return of the 
next rainy season. 

Much of our time was occupied in reaping, plant- 
ing, looking after our various colonies of livestock, 
and in gathering in an abundance of necessary 
stores ; but for two months we worked steadily 
some part of each day at our grotto, in order to 
complete it, and to put the rooms and stalls for the 
animals in comfortable order. During the next 
long rainy season, when other work would be at a 
standstill, we intended to carry out many minor 
details for the embellishment of our abode. We 
levelled the floors first with clay ; then spread gravel 
mixed with gypsum and water over that, producing 
a firm and smooth surface like concrete. But I was 


X 48 the SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

ambitious to provide some European luxuries as 
part of our domestic furnishings — among other 
things, to have one or two carpets — and set about 
making a kind of felt in the following way : 

Spreading a large piece of sailcloth on the ground, 
I saturated it thoroughly with a strong liquid made 
of gum (the produce of certain trees) and isinglass 
(which we had manufactured from the sounds of 
several large species of fish we had captured), and 
laid upon it wool and hair from the sheep and goats, 
which had been previously cleaned and prepared. 
We then rolled up the cloth, and beat it well until 
the wool and hair compacted together. When dry, 
our covering for the floor was by no means to be 
despised, and it formed an effectual protection against 
damp during the rainy season. 

For a considerable time no event of importance 
occurred. Our work went on with little incident 
until Jack broke the monotony by presenting him- 
self one morning, after a short absence, in a most 
deplorable condition, covered from head to foot 
with thick, green mud. A great bundle of canes 
was on his back, muddy and green like himself. 
He had lost a shoe, and altogether he presented so 
ludicrous a picture of misery that we could not help 
laughing, though he seemed ready to cry. 

“My dear boy, what have you been doing ?” I 
asked. 

“Gathering reeds,’ ’ he replied, “in the marsh. 

I wanted to make some cages and baskets, and I 
saw such beauties on the edge of the marsh that I 
couldn’t help trying to get them. I jumped from 
one tuft of firm earth to another quite safely, till I 


MORE IMPROVEMENTS , . 


149 

got near the reeds, and then my foot slipped, and in 
I went — first up to my ankles, and then to my knees 
— and there I stuck, and began to scream with all 



THE ESCAPE. 

my might ; but no one came to help me. At last, 
in my terror, I thought of the reeds. I could just 
reach them with my knife ; so I cut down this bun- 
dle, and laid it on the edge of the marshy pool, to 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


I 5° 

form a kind of bank, and, while I rested my body 
upon it, I was able to set my legs free ; but I left 
one of my shoes behind. I never had such a fright 
in my life as when I felt myself sinking in the 
marsh. I thought it was all over with me. By a 
vigorous effort I succeeded in clambering up upon 
the bed of reeds, and thus sustained myself above 
the marsh, where I should probably have remained 
to this day if it had not been for the assistance of 
my jackal.” 

u How did that happen? ” asked Ernest. 

“ Very easily. Although I was now near the edge 
of the marsh, I did not know how to get out of it, 
for I was afraid of sinking again if I put my foot 
down. All this time my brave jackal was running 
to and fro in a most anxious state upon the bank ; 
and although he saw very well that I could not 
clamber up, the good old fellow appeared to be en- 
couraging me. When I called him he came im- 
mediately. I extended my arms and seized him by 
the tail. Then I cried out as loudly as I could, 
which alarmed him. He wished to escape. He 
pulled and struggled, and in a short time he dragged 
me ashore. That is the state of the case.” 

Although the lad had really been in very consid- 
erable danger, we could not help laughing at his 
adventure, and above all, at the very singular man- 
ner in which he had been extricated. All the while 
we did not omit to congratulate him on the presence 
of mind he had displayed under the circumstances. 
His mother, who did not appreciate the “fun” of 
the adventure, made him hasten away to change his 
clothes and wash himself. 


MORE IMPROVEMENTS. 


151 

“ Thank God for such a fortunate escape, my 
boy,” I said, “and also for giving you the courage 
and presence of mind to act as you did.” 

I examined the reeds, and found that I could use 
them for making parts of a weaving-loom for my 
wife. By splitting two of the largest I formed a 
a frame for the warp ; and the boys cut some of the 
more slender ones into small pieces for teeth for the 
comb. Their curiosity was excited, especially as I 
had each part carefully put away when finished. 
At last I told them not to be surprised if they found 
I had made a musical instrument called a “tam- 
tam ’ * (a kind of drum such as the natives of the 
East and West Indies use), which would play a tune 
when their mother beat time with her foot. They 
knew I was in fun ; but when, at length, the loom 
was finished and presented to their mother, they 
quickly understood its value, and watched her move- 
ments with intense interest while “playing the 
loom,” as they always called it. 

My next work was to make a turninglathe, which 
quickly became a special favorite with Ernest, who 
acquired great dexterity in its use. For several 
weeks after this was finished we employed ourselves 
in the interior of our grotto, in preparation for 
winter (for we had come now to the time when any 
day might mark the beginning of the rainy season), 
and it became necessary to gather a supply of 
potatoes, rice, guavas, sweet acorns, pine-cones, 
and as many of the pineapples as were ripe enough 
to pluck. A quantity of seeds, both native and 
European, were also sowed in various patches of 
ground, which we cleared for the purpose. 


152 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


To preserve the various articles in our storehouse 
in the rock required more vessels than we possessed, 
and I broke up the tub-raft, that we might use the 
casks for the purpose of storing away our roots and 
dried fruit. 

Winter was at last ushered in by heavy clouds, 
which were followed by pelting showers. The wind 
rose to a perfect hurricane, and blew violently from 
the sea ; the waves dashed in foam against the rocks, 
and frightful storms of thunder and lightning drove 
us to our shelter in the grotto. It was near the be- 
ginning of June, and we had twelve weeks of bad 
weather before us. 

Notwithstanding our previous work in the cave, 
we still found a great deal to do to render it really 
comfortable. One great need was light. The cave 
had only four openings — the door, one window for 
our kitchen, another in the workshop, and one which 
lighted the sleeping chambers. When the entrance 
door was closed, the stables and other parts of the 
cave at the back were in almost total darkness. 

To remedy this, I fixed a tall bamboo-cane firmly 
in the ground (near the centre of the cave), the up- 
per end reaching to the roof. Jack then climbed to 
the top of it with a pulley and stake, which he fas- 
tened to a cleft in the rock. A long string was 
passed through the pulley, and to it I fastened a 
lamp which we had brought from the wreck. My 
dear wife filled it with clear oil, and as it had four 
wicks it furnished a fair amount of light. By means 
of the rope and pulley we could place it at a con- 
venient height above our heads, or lower it on to the 
table. 


MORE IMPROVEMENTS. 


I 53 

Now that we could work with ease, Ernest and 
Frank busied themselves in fitting shelves against 
the walls of our living room to hold our books ; Jack 
helped his mother to arrange the various culinary 
utensils on a kind of dresser formed of planks ; while 
Fritz assisted me in fitting up the workshop, and 
fixing his turning lathe in its place in one corner. 
A carpenter’s bench stood in the centre, and the 
tools (with many other useful articles of various 
kinds) were hung in racks upon the walls. 

I was surprised to find what a number of books 
we had saved from the wreck — voyages and travels, 
natural histories, various grammars and dictionaries 
of foreign languages, and many other learned and 
interesting works. To these were added a box of 
mathematical and astronomical instruments, several 
maps and charts, and an excellent globe. Books 
occupied much of our time, and we all determined 
to improve our knowledge of English, French and 
German during the ten or twelve weeks of our im- 
prisonment and enforced leisure. 

By degrees the wind and storm subsided, the rain 
ceased, the sun appeared, and we were able to ven- 
ture forth to look once more on nature’s smiling 
aspect of peaceful beauty, and to observe with delight 
the signs of reviving vegetation. 


x 54 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


CHAPTER XXV. 

THE WATER-BOA. 

N O sooner had the end of the rainy season per- 
mitted us to leave the sheltering walls of Rock 
Castle than I determined to search for a suit- 
able place, near at hand, to be kept expressly for 
the sowing of our various grains, where they could 
be properly attended to and reaped in due course. 
But as our animals were too little accustomed to the 
yoke to warrant me in attempting to use one of the 
plows I had saved from the wreck, I was obliged to 
delay the project. I therefore resolved to set aside 
all field-work till just before the next rainy season, 
and in the mean time fulfil my promise of finishing 
another weaving-machine for my wife, which would 
enable her to make some substantial fabrics, as our 
garments had been patched and repaired till they 
threatened to hang together no longer. 

My first efforts had produced but a rough and 
clumsy loom, which, though it had answered for a 
time, was now almost useless. 

In my young days I had frequently visited the 
workshops of weavers, and knew something of other 
trades, which knowledge helped me greatly in our 
present position. To complete my task I still re- 
quired the particular paste or weaver’s glue with 
which they cover the warp to prevent it from slip- 
ping and tangling, and, in default of it, I determined 
to try fish-glue. I had already contrived to make 
this gum into sheets, clear and firm enough to be 


THE WATER-BOA. 


*55 

used as window-panes, and as the windows were 
placed very deep in the rocky wall (to keep out the 
rain), they served the purpose admirably, for though 
not transparent, they admitted the necessary light 
into our dwelling. 

At the repeated request of my boys I had made 
two saddles and bridles, and a yoke. These I had 
constructed of light wood, and covered them with 
the skin of some of the animals we had killed. 
To stuff them I used the moss of the old trees 
on which the pigeons built ; and the leather for 
bridles I made soft and flexible by soaking it in 
oil. 

This work occupied a considerable time, during 
which we were again visited by a shoal of herrings, 
large numbers of which we caught. These were 
followed, as formerly, by other fishes, of which we 
gathered a large number ; for although the flesh 
was too oily to be eaten, we had baited traps with it 
for crabs, and besides had found the oil, and the air- 
bladder or sound (from which we made isinglass), 
most useful to us. 

The boys had several times petitioned me to take 
them on a hunting expedition, and I consented to 
do so after we had made two large baskets for carry- 
ing grain, fruits, or roots, from the field. We ac- 
cordingly gathered a quantity of rushes (which grew 
plentifully on the borders of Jackal River), for our 
first attempt at basket-making. 

Our initial efforts were clumsy enough ; but we 
gained experience, and by-and-by made larger and 
better ones of the Spanish canes, and these later 
trials were quite successful. 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


156 

As I was one day sitting with my wife and Fritz, 
in the shadow of some trees overlooking Jackal 
River, watching the gambols of the boys and talking 
of the improvements I hoped to make, suddenly 
Fritz exclaimed, “Papa, what is that in the dis- 
tance ? It looks like a thick cable, and seems to be 
coming nearer.” 

I ran for the large telescope I had saved from the 
wreck, and, to my horror, saw an enormous serpent 
rolling towards us on the sand, and raising itself to 
look around, as if for prey, and advancing straight 
towards the grotto. 

My wife, seeing my alarm, rushed into our cave, 
and I ordered the younger boys to follow her. 

“ What is it?’’ asked Fritz, as we stood together. 

“I think it must be a serpent of frightful size,” 
I replied. “You had better join your brothers in 
the house, and get my largest gun in readiness. I 
will return for you when I see what can be done.” 

I went cautiously forward, and became sure that 
my worst fears were well grounded. That most 
dreadful of serpents, the boa-constrictor, was cross- 
ing the bridge at a rapid rate. I rushed back to our 
cave-dwelling, into which the animals had been 
hastily conducted, entered quickly and without noise, 
and barricaded every door and window as strongly 
as possible. 

The young people were in warlike attitude and 
fully armed. Fritz offered me his gun, and we 
placed ourselves at the upper windows (openings 
we had made in the rock at some considerable 
height, for ventilation, and which were reached from 


THE WATER-BOA. 


*57 

within by steps), from which we could see without 
being seen. 

By this time the huge monster had passed over 
the bridge, and after a moment’s pause, came roll- 
ing along in rings, till at length he placed himself 
just outside our hidden dwelling in the rock. 

Ernest, probably from fear, fired his gun ; Jack 
and Frank immediately followed his example, but 
the shots, although not one of them touched the 
creature, frightened him, for he began to roll away 
with great rapidity, and soon disappeared among 
the reeds in the marsh. 

I regretted our failure bitterly. Strictly forbid- 
ding the boys to leave the grotto without my per- 
mission, we waited for three whole days in fear of 
our terrible visitor. But we saw no new signs of 
him, and began to hope that he had left the marsh 
by a way unknown to us. The half-wild ducks and 
geese were, however, evidently aware of the pres- 
ence of an enemy, and seemed to be in constant 
agitation, giving proof that the creature was, with- 
out doubt, still lurking in the thicket of rushes 
(which they were accustomed to make their nightly 
resting place), and might at any moment attack us 
or the animals, if we ventured to leave the cave. 
My anxiety and embarrassment increased daily. 

We were at last relieved, though not without sad 
and distressing loss. As completely as Rome was 
saved by the time-honored geese of the Capitol, our 
garrison was now saved from this critical situation 
by the ass, our useful old Grizzle. 

Our position was rendered the more painful from 
having no stock of provisions for ourselves, or fodder 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


158 

for the animals ; and the hay falling short on the 
third day, I determined, in this dilemma, to set all 
the animals at liberty, except the cow, to find food 
for themselves, by sending them across the river at 
the ford in charge of Fritz. 

I stood at the entrance of the cave, giving him 
my last injunctions, while my wife, who was en- 
treating us to be cautious, opened the door, and old 
Grizzle, who had been shut up and well fed for three 
days, rushed from his stall, and before we could stop 
him, galloped away towards Flamingo Marsh. 

Our eyes followed him, and in vain we called him 
by name. To our horror we saw the serpent raise 
his head from the rushes and dart forth. Instantly 
the poor beast was enclosed in the folds of the mon- 
strous reptile and crushed to death. 

“Shoot him, papa! shoot him ! ” screamed the 
boys. “ Do save poor Grizzle ! ” 

“ It is impossible to save him now, my boys, and 
firing would only irritate the creature,” I said, “and 
perhaps draw him on to attack us. It will soon be 
over ; and while the monster sleeps, as he will after 
his meal, I will do my best to destroy him.” 

“Will he swallow his prey whole?” asked Fritz, 
as we turned away from the painful sight. 

“These serpents have several rows of strong 
teeth,” I replied, “ which enable them to seize their 
prey. They then crush it to death with the folds 
of their body. Even the bones are broken by this 
pressure, and I believe they lick their prey all over* 
with the tongue, covering it with a peculiar saliva, 
which makes it easy to swallow.” 

* This statement is rather doubtful. 



the; dfath of the; ass. 


(* 59 ) 






the SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

I allowed a few hours to pass before attempting 
to interfere with our terrible enemy, then, accom- 
panied by Fritz, I directed my steps to the borders 
of the marsh. Jack followed cautiously behind, and 
Ernest kept us in sight, though farther away. 

When at a distance of eighteen or twenty paces 
both Fritz and I took deliberate aim and fired. The 
shots seemed to take effect, for the upper half of the 
body and the jaws remained immovable, though the 
serpent still glared on us with flashing eyes of im- 
potent rage. But the lower part of the body writhed 
as if in agony, and the tail moved convulsively, 
striking out blindly in all directions. Two pistol- 
shots, however, finished the matter, and our joyful 
shouts of victory called all the family to us. 

“ I am glad the monster is dead,” said Jack. 

“ Can we eat serpents ? ” asked Frank. 

“No, no,” replied his mother. “The flesh of a 
snake is poisonous.” 

“Not always,” I remarked. “Except the head 
(which in some species contains poison fangs), the 
flesh is frequently eaten, I believe. And I have also 
heard that pigs can eat the poisonous rattlesnake 
without being injured. I once read that on Lake 
Superior, one of the large lakes of North America, 
there was a pretty little island, on which no human 
beings could dwell, on account of the immense num- 
ber of rattlesnakes with which it was infested. It 
happened that a vessel, with a large cargo of living 
pigs on board, was wrecked near the island. The 
crew contrived to reach the shore, and land them- 
selves and their cargo ; but it was impossible for 
them to remain, and as soon as the storm ceased 


THE WATER-BOA. 


161 


they repaired to one of the ship’s boats, and leaving 
the pigs to their fate, made their escape with all 
speed. The forsaken animals dispersed themselves 
on the island, and in time their owner, coming with 
another ship, found, to his astonishment, that the 
pigs were in good condition, fat, and well fed. 



RATTLESNAKE. 


They had eaten up the rattlesnakes, and the island 
was, from that time, completely cleared of these 
venomous creatures.” 

“ How can we tell the difference between the 
poisonous and the harmless serpents? ” asked Fritz. 

“Chiefly by the fangs,” I said, “which they 


ii 



THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


162 

protrude when alarmed or in danger. The creature 
rears his body to a great height, opens the glowing, 
red, upper jaw so frightfully that the lower remains 
fixed, and displays two threatening fangs, which at 
other times lie folded back and concealed at the 
sides of the upper jaw. These fangs are hollow, 
but so hard that they can easily penetrate the thick 
leather of a boot. And it is under these that the 
little bag lies which contains the poison. A tiny 
drop, which is pressed out while the creature is 
using the fang, enters the wound, and quickly 
spreads through the veins and over the entire sys- 
tem, speedily causing death. But we have talked 
long enough, boys, and must not leave our dead 
enemy till the morning, for the birds of prey, which 
are already hovering near, will be only too glad to 
spoil the skin, which I should like to stuff.” I 
therefore decided that we would have dinner, and 
then proceed with our melancholy task. 

Our first work was to recover the mangled re- 
mains of the ass, which, being effected, were then 
buried in the soft, marshy .ground close by. We 
next yoked the cow to the serpent, and dragged it 
to a convenient distance from Rock Castle. The 
process of skinning, stuffing, and sewing up again, 
took us several days, and was a source of great in- 
terest and delight to the boys. When this work was 
completed, the stuffed creature was neatly wound 
round a large pole in coils, the head, with the jaws 
wide open, being arranged to look as formidable as 
possible. 

Ernest had already accumulated sundry stuffed 
animals, shells, pebbles, corals, and other natural 


ANOTHER EXCURSION. 


163 

curiosities. This he called his museum, and here 
the serpent was placed erect, a memento of our 
escape from a great danger. It was so natural and 
lifelike that the dogs never passed it without growl- 
ing. The boys attached a label to the mouth, on 
which was written — 

“No Asses Admitted Here,” 

and the double meaning in these words was a jest 
that pleased us all immensely. 


CHAPTER XXVI. 

ANOTHER EXCURSION. 

A L/THOUGH the danger to which we had been 
±\. exposed by the appearance of the serpent was 
over, I could not rest satisfied until I had 
searched the island, to learn whether any other of 
these creatures were to be found upon it. 

This resulted in two excursions — one to the marsh 
and duck-pond, the other to the country about Fal- 
con’s Nest. Jack and Ernest both hesitated to 
accompany me, and expressed a strong desire to re- 
main at the grotto ; but I reasoned with them on 
the folly of becoming slaves to an imaginary terror, 
and overcame their fears, for I wished my boys to 
be brave and courageous in times of danger. I thus 
made them see how much safer and more at ease we 


x 64 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

should feel after exploring the region and finding no 
trace of these creatures. 

We started together, carrying, in addition to our 
firearms, some bamboo-canes for staves, and a couple 
of broad planks for crossing the marsh. 

Among the crushed reeds and rushes we found 
many traces of the boa, but no signs either of young 
ones or eggs. Returning by the edge of the rocks, 
after a strict search, we came upon another grotto 
or cave, just where they joined the marsh, and from 
it flowed a little stream of clear, sparkling water. 
Fritz and myself stepped in on a broad path, beside 
the stream, and found that the ceiling or vaulted 
roof was formed of glittering stalactites. The floor 
was covered with fine earth, as white as snow, and 
I found, to my great satisfaction, after examination, 
that it was fuller’s earth. 

“This is a pleasant discovery, and will be of 
great use in washing our clothes,” I said. “ It is a 
kind of clay largely used by fullers or cloth-dressers, 
to cleanse wool (both before and after it is woven) 
from the grease contained in it, and for this purpose 
it is much better than any artificial soap.” 

The stream grew narrower as we advanced, and I 
found that it issued from a fissure in the rock at the 
back of the cave. As the stones about this point 
were soft, it was easy to remove them and make an 
opening. 

Fritz produced his tinder-box, and a couple of 
candles were quickly lighted and stuck on our 
bamboo-canes. By their clear burning I knew that 
the air was pure enough to allow us to enter. Leav- 
ing Ernest and Jack outside, we crept through the 



ANOTHER EXCURSION. ^5 

hole, and found ourselves in a large, lofty hall with 
a vaulted roof. 

“ Oh, papa ! ” exclaimed Fritz joyfully, “here is 
another salt cavern. Look at the crystals.’ * 

“They cannot be salt,” I replied, “or the water 
of the brook would taste of it. I am rather of the 


THE eees. 

opinion that this is a cave of rock crystals.” 

“Rock crystals, papa!” exclaimed the boy. 
“ Then we have made a valuable discovery.” 

“Not more valuable here,” I replied, “ than was 
the bag of gold found by Robinson Crusoe to him.” 

Our candles were now nearly burned out, so we 
hastened to return to the outer grotto, after having 


i66 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


fired a pistol to observe its effect on the crystals. 
On reaching the outside, Jack startled me by throw- 
ing himself into my arms, sobbing and laughing 
together, as he exclaimed — 

“ Oh, papa, I’m so glad you have come ! I heard 
a noise like thunder, and thought the cave had fallen 
in and crushed you both.” 

“It was only the report of my pistol, my dear 
boy. But why did not Ernest remain with you?” 

“ Oh, he’s gone to that bed of rushes, and prob- 
ably did not hear the noise.” 

I went with haste to look for the boy, and found 
him busy among the reeds, plaiting a kind of basket 
with rushes. 

“Where are the fish for the basket you are mak- 
ing?” I asked. 

“ I’ve not been fishing,” he answered ; “but I’ve 
killed a young boa, I think. There he is, near my 
gun.” 

This rather alarmed me, for I knew that if this was 
a young serpent there would probably be more on the 
marsh. A single glance relieved me. “ Your boa,” 
I said, “ is a fine fat eel, which will provide us with 
an excellent supper ; and we may as well go home 
now, and show your mother the magnificent fish you 
have killed.” 

I proposed next day that the whole family should 
accompany me in an excursion to the farther side 
of the Great Bay. 

Joyful preparations began at once, and occupied 
us for nearly a week. The cart was stocked with 
provisions for an absence of some length, together 
with our canvas tent, cooking utensils, tools, can- 


ANOTHER EXCURSION. jfy 

dies, and plenty of arms and ammunition ; and thus 
equipped we started. 

Traces of the boa were occasionally seen, but be- 
fore we reached Falcon’s Nest they had completely 
disappeared. 

We found the live stock in good condition, and 
their numbers had increased ; so after throwing some 
fodder and salt to them, we then pushed on to Wood 
Grange. I decided to make this our halting-place 
for the night, and after a slight dinner we set out to 
explore the vicinity. Little Frank accompanied us, 
armed for the first time with a small gun. I took to 
the left of Black Swan Lake, with Frank ; Jack and 
Fritz took the opposite direction ; and Ernest re- 
mained to assist his mother in gathering rice from 
the marshy fens by the lake. 

We kept, for the most part, close to the shore ; 
and started many aquatic birds, such as herons, 
woodcocks, and wild ducks, that flew to the lake, 
either to sport on its surface or soar above it. After 
a time, as we met with no adventure (except that 
Frank shot a little animal called a guinea-pig, 
which startled us by rushing from among the reeds), 
we turned our steps homeward to the tent, having 
made no discovery of importance. 

“And what have you been doing during my ab- 
sence, Ernest?” 

“Oh,” replied he, “while mamma and I were 
gathering rice, I noticed several little mounds, like 
mole-hills, rising a few inches above the ground. 
Presently Master Nip, venturing near, drew from a 
hole in one of them a large rat. I ran to help him, 
and, after killing the rat, poked my stick into the 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


1 68 

nest, when out rushed a large number of rats, and 
escaped among the rice. 

“ I knocked over some of them with my stick ; but 
their cries brought a whole colony upon me, and 
they began to attack my legs most savagely. I 
killed several, but they were so furious that I cried 
out for help. Juno then dashed in among my assail- 
ants, and with one grip of the neck laid many of 
them dead, and put the rest to flight.” 

I was very curious to see the nests, which I found 
to be similar to those of the beaver. “They are 
evidently musk-rats,” I said. “ They resemble the 
beaver in the cleverness with which they build 
their houses, and in having a bushy tail and webbed 
feet. ’ ’ 

Jack and Fritz had by this time returned, They 
had seen nothing of our dreaded foe, and like our- 
selves had met with no adventures. They opened 
their game bags, and produced several wild fruits of 
various kinds, which we all enjoyed. 

It was now growing late, and the boys all looked 
weary : we therefore took up our night-quarters in 
the hut or arbor at Wood Grange. 

After an early breakfast we continued our journey 
to the sugarcane grove. I was thankful to observe 
no traces of the serpent’s tail, and we were proceed- 
ing to explore the canebrake, when what appeared 
to be a herd of little, grey-colored pigs passed before 
us. The perfect order in which they followed their 
leader was most remarkable. With a shot from my 
double-barrelled gun I brought two of them to the 
ground. 

Strange to say, the procession did not pause, but 


ANOTHER EXCURSION. 


169 

actually passed the dead bodies of their comrades 
with steady steps, and without breaking rank. Fritz 
and Jack fired also ; and altogether we shot about a 
dozen of them. 

On examining our booty, I recognized they were 
the peccary, and as the flesh is considered palatable, 
Fritz and I at once carefully removed the musk-bag 
from each without breaking it. By doing this the 
flesh was preserved from having a very disagreeable 
flavor imparted to it. 

I sent Jack for the cart, and on his arrival we 
placed the little pigs upon it, and returned to the 
arbor, beginning, after a hasty but substantial meal, 
the preparation of this new supply of provisions. 
The legs and sides were cut off and salted, and on 
the day following the boys arranged to turn our 
arbor into a smoke-house, like the one we used for 
smoking herrings, and in this the salted joints were 
hung. 

As the smoke in the hut required attention for a 
few days before the hams would be cured, my wife 
and one of the boys decided to remain near and at- 
tend to the fire, while the rest of us made excursions 
in the neighborhood. 

On our way to Prospect Hill one morning, we 
passed through Wood Grange, and I found, to my 
dismay and mortification, that some wild animals 
had again attacked the farm buildings. The goats 
and sheep had wandered away, the fowls also had 
disappeared, and the stalls and poultry-houses were 
broken and destroyed. It was therefore obvious that 
our plans for preserving and multiplying our stock 
by this means was a complete failure. 


170 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


CHAPTER XXVII. 

ADVENTURES IN A NEW COUNTRY. 

W E now resolved on a more extended survey of 
our island, and early one morning our cara- 
van set out, and, after several hours’ walking, 
we reached the outskirts of a small wood. 

The spot was cool and sheltered. O11 the right 
was an overhanging rock, while at the left a river 
emptied itself into a large bay. The place appeared 
to be safe and convenient, and we began the neces- 
sary arrangements for a prolonged stay. 

I decided to take the three elder boys with me next 
day, in order that we might explore the broad plain. 
My wife and Frank were to remain at the tent, with 
the wagons and the animals. 

Starting for the unknown land, and taking a nar- 
row pass between the river and the rocks, we arrived 
at a spot from which the entire plain was spread out 
before us. Beyond it rose steep, barren mountains, 
piled one above the other, their summits reaching 
to the clouds, or sharply defined against the sky. 

Leaving the verdant plain behind us, and contin- 
uing towards the mountain range, we found the 
contrast increasingly perceptible. The grass was 
burned and the land appeared dry and unfruitful : 
the soil, evidently rocky and sterile, required fre- 
quent rain to soften it so as to produce vegetation. 

On we walked. The air was sultry and most op- 
pressive, and my poor boys seemed to lose all courage 
and power of endurance. 


ADVENTURES IN A NEW COUNTRY. jy X 

At last, when quite overcome with heat and fa- 
tigue, we reached the foot of a projecting rock, and 
threw ourselves down to rest in its grateful and ac- 
ceptable shade. 

We had not been resting long, and had just pro- 
duced our provisions, when Fritz, who had his eyes 
fixed on something in the distance, exclaimed, 

“Papa, what is that in the valley yonder? It 
appears like a man on horseback. And there is 
another, and a third,” he added ; “and now they 
are all in full gallop. Can they really be the Arabs 
of the desert? ” 

“No, certainly not,” I replied, with a laugh. 
“But take my telescope, and see what the strange 
sight is.” 

“It is most curious, papa,” said the boy. “The 
moving objects look like herds of cattle, loaded 
wagons, or wandering haystacks. What can it all 
be?” The glass was passed to his brothers, and 
both Ernest and Jack declared the great moving ob- 
jects to be men on horseback. 

I took the telescope myself, and discovered at a 
glance that the figures were gigantic ostriches. 

The birds were evidently coming our way. I 
desired Fritz and Jack to call in the dogs, and search 
for the monkey, while Ernest and myself concealed 
ourselves. Master Nip, it appeared, had scented 
water, and the party had refreshed themselves with 
a hasty bath and filled their water-flasks. 

All this time the ostriches were drawing nearer. 
There were five of them, and one I saw was a male 
bird, as was shown by the large and beautiful tail 


THE SWISS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


172 

feathers, and the deep glossy black of the neck and 
body. 

“We must not startle them,” I said, “lest they 
begin to run.” 

“ How do the Arabs catch them ? ” asked Jack. 

“Sometimes on horseback, but oftener by strata- 
gem. When it finds itself pursued, the ostrich will 
run for hours in a circle of immense circumference, 
and the hunter keeps within the circle, but still fol- 
lows, till the creature flags from fatigue ; then, cross- 
ing the circle, he makes the capture. But hush, do 
not move. The birds are very near us. n 

Coming upon us so suddenly, they appeared to be 
startled ; and, unfortunately, the impatient dogs 
escaped from our hold, and rushed, yelping and bark- 
ing, upon them. Away they flew like the wind, 
seeming scarcely to touch the ground with their feet. 
Fritz had uncovered the eyes of his eagle when the 
birds were first alarmed, and it quickly pounced upon 
the beautiful male bird, which was a little in the 
rear, and with one blow of his beak brought the 
creature to the ground. We were too late to save its 
life, for the dogs were quickly upon it, and we ar- 
rived at the spot only in time to gather up a few of 
the most beautiful feathers. 

“What a pity to kill such a beautiful creature ! ” 
said Fritz. “Why, he must be six feet high, at 
least, and his neck would measure three feet more.” 

“What can these birds find to live upon in this 
barren and unfruitful spot?” said Ernest. 

“ It is said that the ostrich can digest almost any- 
thing,” I replied : “but his usual food consists of 
grains, plants, and shrubs. Most animals, also, that 


ADVENTURES IN A NEW COUNTRY. ^3 

inhabit the barren regions of a desert can live for 
days without food.” 

Continuing our walk towards a valley, which I 
had seen in the distance, Ernest and Jack turned 



THE OSTRICH. 


aside to follow the movements of the dogs. All at 
once they stood still by some withered shrubs, and 
beckoned excitedly to us to follow. 

“Ostrich’s eggs ! ostrich’s eggs ! ” cried the boys, 



THE SWISS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


I 74 

as we overtook them ; and at their feet, in a hole in 
the sand, exposed to the sun, lay twenty eggs as 
large as a young child’s head. 

u That is a glorious discovery ! ” I said ; “ but do 
not disturb the eggs, or perhaps the mother will 
forsake them, for she only leaves her eggs during 
the day ; at night she sits on them, covering them 
carefully.” 

The boys begged me to let them take home two 
eggs, to show to their mother. I cautiously lifted 
two from the top, and then set up in the sand a cross 
made of two pieces of the heath-stem, by which to 
find the nest easily when we should come again. 
Turning our steps homewards, where a glad wel- 
come awaited us, we arrived just about sunset at the 
tent. 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

ANOTHER OSTRICH HUNT. 

N EXT morning I aroused my children early, as I 
intended that there should be at least one 
more excursion before returning to Rock 
House, where many arrangements had to be made 
in preparation for the approaching rainy season ; 
and I wished especially to discover whether the os- 
trich had deserted the eggs we had left in the sand. 
Ernest wished to remain at home to help his mother ; 
for the quiet, indolent boy took very little interest 
in these fatiguing excursions. Frank gladly joined 


ANOTHER OSTRICH HUNT. 


*75 

the elder boys : he was a spirited little fellow, and 
as fond of enterprise as Jack. 

We set out with the cow and the onager and the 
two old dogs. Taking the direction we had followed 
on our first visit to Wood Grange, we arrived shortly 
at the rising ground from which we had seen the 
ostriches. 

I allowed Jack and Frank to gallop forward at full 
speed over the plain, on condition that they should 
not allow me to lose sight of them, while Fritz and 
I quickly followed. When we had nearly reached 
the ostrich’s nest, I observed in the distance four 
magnificent birds approaching us with almost in- 
credible swiftness. They were close within gunshot 
before they perceived us, and Fritz sent up his eagle, 
which at once pounced upon the head of the nearest 
ostrich. In consequence of his beak being firmly 
bound up, he could only beat his wings on the creat- 
ure’s back without hurting him. 

This, however, so confused and alarmed the bird 
that he could not defend himself, nor continue his 
flight. Jack quickly threw the lasso, but instead 
of catching only the legs, as he intended, he entan- 
gled the string also in the wings. The bird fell to 
the ground at once, and the boys set up shouts of 
joy as they ran to the spot. Fritz called off his 
eagle, and drove away the dogs, while I lost no time 
in endeavoring to tie the legs and set the wings free. 
The struggles of the prostrate bird were fearful, and 
the violence with which he kicked right and left 
with his entangled legs made us fear to approach 
him. I had begun to despair of making him a pris- 
oner, when happily I thought of covering his eyes 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


176 

by throwing my hunting-pouch over his head. We 
had no further trouble. All resistance ceased ; he 
lay still as a lamb, and I was able to fasten about his 
body a broad strip of hide, and on each side of this 
to attach a piece of strong cord, that we might lead 
him. I also tied the two legs together with a cord 
of sufficient length to allow him to walk, but not to 
make his escape. 

“You remember having read of the manner in 
which the natives of Ceylon secure the newly-cap- 
tured elephants?” I said to the boys. 

“ Oh, yes ! ” answered Fritz. “ They tie the wild 
animal between two tame elephants, and so it is 
obliged to obey whether it will or no.” 

“Good!” replied Jack, laughing ; “but where 
are the two tame ostriches to lead this one ? ’ ’ 

I replied with a laugh : “Are you sure they must 
be ostriches? Have we not our animals?” 

“ Oh, papa,” cried all the boys, “ that is a famous 
plan ! it is sure not to fail.” 

I led the onager and the cow, one on each side of 
the bird, which still lay on the ground. To the 
strings which I had fastened to the strip of hide, I 
attached two leading-reins, one of which I fixed to 
the bridle of the ass and the other to the horns of 
the cow. Jack and Frank then mounted, and I re- 
moved the covering from the bird’s eyes. For some 
moments he remained without moving, as if per- 
plexed and astonished ; then, with a sudden spring, 
rose to his feet, and, seeing no obstacle in his way, 
darted forward so quickly that the sudden jerk 
of the reins brought him on his knees. He was soon 
up again, and began to struggle violently, rushing 


ANOTHER OSTRICH HUNT 


177 

right and left, in vain attempts to escape ; but after 
a few unavailing struggles he gave way, and sank 
again to the ground. 

After a few minutes’ rest the captive rose to his 
feet, and as the animals at the same moment moved 
forward he commenced to accommodate himself to 
their steps, and was completely subdued. 

Leaving the boys to walk on slowly homewards 
with their prisoner, Fritz and I proceeded to the 
spot where we had left the eggs of the ostrich. On 
reaching the place, we found evident signs that the 
hen-bird had not abandoned her eggs, and it raised 
joyful hopes iu our minds that we might very soon 
find little ostrich chicks running about. 

Selecting a few of the eggs, we left the rest to 
the mother’s care ; and after packing our fragile 
• treasures in cotton-wool (in a bag I had brought for 
the purpose), we started to rejoin the boys and their 
captive. From thence we at once proceeded home- 
ward through the green valley, and arrived safely at 
the tent, rather earlier than we were expected. 

The admiration expressed by my wife when she 
saw our gigantic prize was quickly turned to anxiety. 
“ How do you suppose we are to feed that enormous 
creature ? and where is he to live ? I cannot see that 
he will be of any possible use.” 

“Mamma, I will teach him to carry me on his 
back,” exclaimed Jack. “And some day, if we find 
that our island is joined to Africa or South America, 
I shall be able to get to these places in a few days, 
and bring back all sorts of news. He flies like the 
wind, and his name ought to be Hurricane. Do let 
me learn to ride him, papa.” 


12 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


178 

As each of the boys wanted the bird, I settled the 
matter in this way: “If Jack succeeds in taming 
the creature,” I said, “and teaching him to receive 
a rider on his back, and to answer the movements 
of the bridle like a horse, then I am sure he will 
deserve to consider the bird his own, as a reward 
for his exertions. From this time, therefore, he is 
responsible for the training of the ostrich.” 

It was now late. I therefore untied the leading- 
reins, and with the assistance of the boys I fastened 
them around the stems of two trees, between which 
the ostrich could stand or lie down as he wished, 
but could not escape. 

The rest of the day we employed in packing the 
many valuable things we had discovered during 
these excursions, for removal to the summer lodging 
we had constructed at Tent House. 


CHAPTER XXIX. 

OSTRICH TRAINING. 

W E started early next day to proceed on our 
way, and presented a most singular cavalcade. 
The ostrich was still so untamed, and retarded 
our progress so much, that we were obliged to fasten 
him to the cart by the side of Eightfoot. 

On arriving with our various acquisitions at Rock 
Castle, my wife’s first care was to throw open the 
doors and windows to admit the fresh air. The 


OSTRICH TRAINING. 


179 

ostrich was securely tied between two bamboo canes 
in front of the dwelling, and during the day I re- 
laxed the cords sufficiently to allow it as much free- 
dom of movement as was consistent with its safety. 
Here I determined it should remain until it became 
quite tame and tractable. 

Our next care was to look after the ostrich eggs. 
Those which we fancied contained young birds were 
wrapped in wool. I then constructed a drying-oven, 
to be kept at a proper temperature as shown by a 
thermometer, in the hope that they might be hatched 
by artificial heat, in the way that the Egyptians are 
accustomed to do with the eggs of their poultry. 
Four young birds were ultimately hatched, but they 
all died in a few days after. 

These arrangements employed us two days ; and 
now several duties presented themselves, all appar- 
ently of equal importance — the cultivation of a piece 
of land to receive wheat, barley, and maize, and 
another piece for rice ; the taming of the ostrich ; 
and the preparation of the skins of the animals we 
had captured in our last expedition. 

We decided that agricultural work was the most 
important ; and the animals being now accustomed 
to the yoke were made useful in drawing the plow. 
But the plowshare was a light one, and did not turn 
up the earth deep enough. We had, consequently, 
to dig, hoe, and work with all our strength. It was 
not possible to follow this laborious employment 
during the heat of the day. We therefore worked 
for two hours in the early morning, and another two 
in the cool of the evening. 

During the intervals of rest I undertook the training 


j8o THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

of our new captive, the ostrich, but with little success, 
for it appeared untamable. I was therefore compelled 
to use the means adopted in taming the eagle, and 
stupefy the poor creature with the fumes of tobacco. 

The powerful effect it had rather alarmed me, for 
the bird fell to the earth, and remained for some 
time motionless. When at last it raised its head I 
lengthened the string, that it might get up and walk 
around the bamboo-canes to which it was tied. My 
wife then brought all kinds of nourishment which 
she thought the creature would eat ; but although 
subdued, it refused everything that was offered it for 
three whole days, and became so feeble and weak 
that we feared it would die. 

As a last resort she made balls of crushed maize 
mixed with butter, one of which she placed inside 
its beak. It was immediately swallowed with ease. 
A second and third were eagerly looked for, and from 
that moment its appetite returned, it ate whatever 
was offered it, soon recovered its strength, and we 
began to doubt whether we should find enough to 
feed it. The boys were surprised one day to find 
the creature swallowing small pebbles ; but I ex- 
plained that the ostrich requires these to enable it 
to digest its food, just as small birds need gravel. 

Whirlwind, as Jack had named it, lived princi- 
pally on vegetables, maize, and acorns, and at last 
became so tame that we could do as we liked with 
it. In less than a month it had been trained by 
Jack to walk and run with the boy on his back so 
cleverly, and to sit down, get up, and gallop at com- 
mand, that I began to consider to what extent we 
might make it useful as a riding-horse. 


OSTRICH TRAINING. jgj 

I could easily contrive a saddle ; but how could a 
bit be made to suit a bird’s beak, or reins to guide 
an ostrich ? In my embarrassment I was almost in- 
clined to give it up, when I recollected that the 
change from light to darkness, or the contrary, had 
great influence over the creature, and I conceived 



THE TRAINED OSTRICH. 


the idea of making a leathern hood, somewhat like 
the one worn by Fritz’s eagle. It was to reach from 
the back of the head to the commencement of the 
beak in front, and to have holes cut in it for the eyes 
and ears. Having fitted this to the bird’s head, I 



jS2 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

fastened a ring on each side, and my wife sewed on 
strings for tying it under its throat. 

Over the eye-holes two square flaps were sewed, 
like the blinkers of a horse’s bridle, to be raised or 
let fall by straps connected with the reins, which 
were fastened at each end to the rings at the beak. 
I hoped by this arrangement to guide our feathered 
courser, for if the rider wished to go straight forward 
both eye-holes would remain uncovered ; to make 
the creature turn to the left the blinker over the 
right eye must be shut, or if to the right, the left 
eye must be covered. To stop the bird the light 
must be shut out from both eyes. 

As we were now in the middle of the rainy season, 
and as the training of the ostrich, by which we occu- 
pied ourselves during the less rainy periods, did not 
sufficiently fill up our time, the boys, against all 
rules of proper domestic discipline, would have be- 
come very idle and lazy in their spare time if I had 
not proposed the carrying out of a project — a new 
work which would give us all plenty of occupation. 

Every one was excited, and Fritz insisted upon 
making a Greenland canoe. “We have now,” I 
said, “a post on the land; we must organize one 
also at sea. We shall then be able to receive news 
very quickly from the most distant frontiers of our 
kingdom, and to make still more useful discoveries.” 

This proposition was approved and adopted. My 
wife alone, in her anxiety, asked further explana- 
tion ; and when she understood that the Greenland 
kaiak were only made of sealskin, she hesitated to 
give her approval, for she was a declared enemy of 
the sea, and very nervous about it. She was at last 


OSTRICH TRAINING. 


183 

persuaded to give a consent to our proposition, and 
we joyfully set about our work in the hope, at any 
rate, of finishing the framework of our new boat 
before the end of the rainy season. I proposed in 
this matter to follow my own ideas as to form, and 



THE CANOE. 

arrangement, as I had done in the construction of 
the former boat, for I flattered myself that as a 
European I could excel the skilfulness of the poor 
Greenlanders. 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


184 

With plenty of material, and time enough to 
finish the skeleton of the boat before the return of 
the fine season, we set about the work with eager 
interest. 

Long, thick pieces of whalebone formed the sides 
of the canoe, which were joined at each end for stem 
and stern, and fitted into a plank underneath for a 
keel. Split bamboo-canes built up the sides over 
the whalebone curves ; and the keel, which was at 
least twelve feet long, was strengthened by a band of 
copper running the whole length, into which I fixed 
an iron ring for mooring the boat. 

The deck was also made of split bamboo-canes, 
and extended over the whole of the canoe, except 
at an opening in the middle, in which the rower 
could sit on a movable seat, and use oars or paddles. 

All this occupied us so completely, that the rain 
passed away, and the sun shone bright and clear, 
before our canoe was quite ready to be launched. 
The sides were covered with the skins of young 
sharks, and in the fore-part a mast with a three-cor- 
nered sail was fixed. When at length the little skiff 
was launched on the water, it bounded like a leath- 
ern ball, and floated so lightly that it drew only an 
inch or two of water. 

Before Fritz (whom I considered the rightful 
owner) could be trusted out to sea alone in this 
fragile boat, his mother tried her ingenuity in 
making him a swimming-dress. It was like a 
double sack, with openings for the head, arms, and 
feet. The material was soaked in a solution of 
indiarubber, the double portions, or rather the out- 
side and the lining, being closely sewed together 


WANDERERS FROM HOME . 


185 

around the edges, with just sufficient opening be- 
tween them to inflate with air like a balloon. The 
material having been made air-tight, and the little 
opening closed with a cork, the dress would float, 
and so support the wearer. 

At length, one fine morning, it was settled that 
Fritz should attire himself in liis swimming-dress, 
which he had purposely inflated with air, to prove 
it. He was welcomed with shouts of laughter, for 
the dress stuck out before and behind in a most 
ludicrous manner. 

Without seeming to notice the laughter, he 
marched forward with the greatest gravity, entered 
the water, and paddled like a duck across the creek 
to the shore of Shark’s Island. With a shout of 
triumph he turned and swam back to us, and then 
entering his new canoe he showed us how dexter- 
ously he was able to manoeuvre it. 


CHAPTER XXX. 

WANDERERS FROM HOME. 

O NE morning, soon after the incidents just nar- 
rated, I discovered, from various allusions, 
that the boys were meditating an excursion of 
their own. To this I conceived no reasonable ob- 
jection could be offered, for an occasional change of 
occupation was advantageous to all of us. I accord- 
ingly expressed my approbation of the project so 
soon as it was explained to me. At once Fritz ran 


!86 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

• 

off to his mother, who was at work in her garden, 
and begged of her to give him some meat, as he 
purposed to make peminican. 

“Very good, my dear boy,” replied she ; “but I 
must first beg of you to tell me what pemmican is.” 

He replied that it was a preparation of meat used 
by North Americans, and was an especial favorite 
among the fur-traders of Canada, when they go off 
on trading excursions among the Red Indians. It 
consists of bear’s or goat’s flesh, first cooked and 
then beaten up into a sort of paste, which forms a 
most substantial nourishment, since a very small 
portion suffices for a meal ; and as it is very portable, 
it is thus the most convenient food for travellers. 
Sometimes it is prepared by first drying the meat in 
the wind and sun, and pounding it up with the fruit 
of the shad-bush, commonly called the service- berry. 

Fritz was obliged to explain to his mother that he 
had an excursion in view ; and after some little 
coaxing he gained his point, and returned with the 
needful supply of meat. This the boys set to work 
to prepare into pemmican. When it was ready I 
tasted a piece of it to satisfy Fritz, and found it by 
no means unpalatable. 

But these were not the only preparations. Ham- 
pers, sacks, small wickerwork cages, and a variety 
of other utensils were got ready. The old sledge 
was next brought out and mounted on a pair of 
cannon-wheels. A small tent also was taken, along 
with an abundant supply of ammunition and provi- 
sions. 

At length the morning of departure arrived. On 
getting up to see them set out, I observed that Jack 


WANDERERS FROM HOME. 


1 87 

carried off, very mysteriously, several of our Euro- 
pean pigeons, which he had secured in the small 
wicker baskets I had before observed. 

As my wife had declined to join at present in any 
expedition, and Ernest also intimated his intention 
of remaining behind, I resolved likewise to stay at 
home, and employ the time in constructing an appa- 
ratus for crushing the sugarcanes, in order to obtain 
the sugar in some more manageable form than we 



THE SUGAR-MIIvE. 


had heretofore been able to do — a thing which my 
wife had long desired. 

All the preparations of our travellers were mean- 
while completed, and a hearty repast partaken of, 
during which I availed myself of a favorable oppor- 
tunity for giving them such good counsel as I 
thought most suited to their present movements. 
They departed in high spirits, and we watched them 


1 88 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


till they crossed the bridge and disappeared beyond 
the wood that lay inland from Falcon’s Nest. 

I lost no time in setting about my sugar-mill. I 
constructed three vertical rollers, between which 
the sugarcanes could be crushed, and to which I 
adapted some of the wheels originally designed for 
the intended sugarworks at the new colony for which 
our ship was bound. This could be set a-going by 
harnessing our cow to it, so that much personal labor 
was thereby spared, and we soon had a most efficient 
apparatus completed. 

While Ernest and I were finding abundant and 
agreeable occupation in thus taxing our ingenuity 
for the general good, and occasionally soliciting the 
advice or assistance of my dear wife, who was watch- 
ing our proceedings with lively interest, our young 
adventurers were pushing their way towards the 
savannah, and experiencing sundry novel adven- 
tures, which they failed not to recount to us on their 
return. 

On the first evening of their absence, after a day 
laboriously and industriously spent, my dear Eliza- 
beth and I were seated at the entrance of our com- 
fortable and well-furnished grotto at Rock Castle, 
conversing together. Our .conversation naturally 
turned on the absent members of the family ; and 
while my wife and I were wondering and guessing 
as to what they might then be doing, Ernest sur- 
prised us by saying, “I think it will not be long 
before we have news of my brothers.” My wife 
asked him what he meant by such a remark, and I 
was surprised when Ernest thus replied : “ To-mor- 
row morning, my dear parents, I hope to be able to 


WANDERERS FROM HOME. 

communicate to you the news of where they are, 
and what they are about.” 

“Truly,” said I, somewhat ironically, “do you 
purpose to set out on a visit to them, and be your 
own carrier in bringing back the news?” Ernest 
made no reply ; but his mother, whose anxiety about 
her boys was too great to admit of her indulging in 
any jesting on the subject, asked him how he could 
be so thoughtless as to speak in that manner. 

“Not at all,” said Ernest, “I am indulging in 
no foolish dream, yet I hope before long to commu- 
nicate news to you of the absent travellers.” 

While we were thus conversing a bird alighted 
on the dovecote, and entered. It was already so 
dark that we could not discern whether it was one 
of our own pigeons or some strange bird ; and as it 
was long past the usual hour for their retiring to 
rest, I feared it might be some dangerous intruder ; 
but Ernest at once interposed. “ Shut up the dove- 
cote,” said he. “Shut it up! What would you 
say if that bird was the bearer of letters from 
Europe ? ’ ’ 

“You speak,” said I, “as if that country was 
actually in our vicinity. I am aware, however, that 
it is sometimes pleasant, my dear Ernest, to indulge 
in such day-dreams. But let us now to bed, and 
to-morrow you can give audience to your courier, 
and tell us the news of the world from which we 
are shut out.” Thus saying, I wished him good- 
night, and we withdrew to our couches to enjoy 
our well-earned repose.” 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


190 


CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE LETTER-CARRIERS. 

N EXT morning Ernest rose much earlier than 
usual, and just as I was quitting my room I 
saw him descending from the dovecote. As his 
mother and I sat down to breakfast he entered, car- 
rying a large sealed packet in his hand, like an 
official letter, and with an air of mock dignity mak- 
ing at the same time a profound obeisance, he thus 
addressed me: “The postmaster of the sovereign 
lord of Rock Castle, Falcon’s Nest, and the sur- 
rounding domains, presents his respectful compli- 
ments, and prays you to pardon delay in the delivery 
of these despatches from Wood Grange, and other 
parts of your territories, as the post did not arrive 
till late last night.” 

My wife and I laughed at the gravity with which 
he went through his part, naturally supposing the 
whole to be only a pleasant jest. I replied, accord- 
ingly, in the same vein: “Well, Mr. Postmaster, 
and what is the news of which you are the bearer 
from our most distant dominions?” To this Ernest 
replied by breaking the seal, and reading as follows : 

“ The Governor-General of Novel Land , to the Governor of 
Rock Castle , Falcon's Nest, Prospect Hill, <2fc., &c., 
greeting. 

“Most honored and dear Governor, — 

“ We learn with displeasure that a force of three men, belong- 
ing to your colony, has effected an inroad into our country, to 
prey upon the product of the chase, and have already committed 


THE LETTER-CARRIERS. 


1 9 I 

much havoc among the animals of this province. We also learn 
that a ferocious pair of jaguars has invaded this department, and 
caused great destruction to the domestic animals of our colony. 
We therefore pray you to repress these disorders as speedily as 
possible, to recall those hunters and spoilers, to provide against 
the further ravages of wild beasts, and to take the necessary steps 
for otherwise protecting the domestic animals, and maintaining 
the legal rights of man. Wishing you all health and prosperity. 

“ Given at Sydney Cove , this twelfth day of the eighth 
month of the fourth year of our Colony. As witness 
my hand. 

“Philip Phiujpson, 

“ Governor.” 

His reading finished, Ernest gave way to a hearty 
fit of laughter as he saw the half-credulous looks of 
curiosity and anxiety with which we listened to this 
extravagant despatch, and began dancing about so 
wildly that a small note fell from his waistcoat 
pocket. I reached forward to snatch it up, but Er- 
nest anticipated me. 

As he picked it up he said — 4 4 This is a private 
letter from Sydney Cove. I pray you let me read 
it to you. It contains, perhaps, truer and more trust- 
worthy details than that of Governor Phillipson, 
which appears to speak in exaggerated and ungra- 
cious terms of the emissaries despatched from this 
colony.” 

u You speak in enigmas, Ernest,” said I. 44 Fritz, 
perhaps, gave you this letter before he set out. Per- 
haps he had then discovered the traces of a jaguar 
on the sand.” 

4 4 Not at all, my dear papa,” replied Ernest. 4 4 It 
is indeed a letter from Fritz, sent home to us from 
Sydney Cove, as they have named that part of the 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


192 

coast. It was a pigeon-messenger that brought it 
here last night.” 

I congratulated the boy on so happy a thought. 

“ But let us hear the letter,” exclaimed his mother, 
alarmed at the mention of jaguars, and already 
picturing to herself all manner of dangers. I was 
scarcely less impatient myself, so Ernest accordingly 
read aloud the following letter : — 

“Dear Parents, and my dear Ernest, — I write to you of 
our journey and safe arrival at the farm. There we found an 
enormous jaguar, which had killed two of our lambs, and was 
devouring the carcass of a sheep. Francis courageously attacked 
and killed it, and he deserves the whole honor of the victory. 
Our dogs assisted with their usual fidelity and bravery. We have 
spent the day in preparing the skin, which, you will find, is a 
beautiful trophy. Our pemmican is not very palatable, but we 
are happily independent of it. We are all safe and sound, and 
unite in sending our best love. 

“ Your affectionate son, 

' “Fritz.” 

This letter was a source of no little satisfaction 
both to my wife and myself, and we again and again 
congratulated Ernest on the happy device by which 
a means of communication had been opened between 
us and the wanderers ; but he was so full of his 
novel duties as postmaster that he could scarcely 
think of anything else all day. 

At last his diligent watch was rewarded by seeing 
a pigeon again enter the dovecote towards evening. 
We immediately examined the bird, and found a 
despatch tied under the wing. It was signed by 
our boys, and announced in the most laconic terms 
that they had passed a pleasant night, and had cap- 
tured some black swans. They concluded by inti- 


THE LETTER-CARRIERS. 


*93 

mating their intention to be at Prospect Hill on the 
morrow. 

This note reassured us. From other missives 
which reached us from time to time, we learned the 
particulars of the capture of three young swans, the 
old ones having proved to be too strong and agile. 
They also captured a beautiful large species of heron, 
and startled a large tapir, which somewhat alarmed 



swans. 


them by its immense size. They reached Prospect 
Hill, and passed a night there, greatly disturbed by 
the howling of monkeys, and surrounded by abun- 
dant tokens of their mischievous and destructive 
work. Late on the morrow they returned home in 
high glee at their successful excursion, and no less 
pleased to see us than we were to welcome them. 

As we talked over their adventures I found that 
the boys had made several new and valuable discov- 

13 


194 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


eries in the course of their wanderings. I was 
delighted to recognize among their trophies the 
cacao-bean, of which chocolate is made, the yam, 
and also the banana, which forms so important an 
article of food in various countries of America, and 
with a very little preparation forms a very good sub- 
stitute for bread. Fritz had gathered a rather large 
quantity of the cacao-beans, and I determined to at 
once utilize them, but their preparation was a diffi- 
cult matter, and, indeed, I feared my ignorance 
would prevent us from availing ourselves of the 
delightful refreshment of chocolate. Ernest, how- 
ever, came to my aid, and detailed from his reading 
the process needful for our purpose. The kernels 
of the cacao-beans are deprived of the outer husk 
by the aid of fire ; they are then roasted, and after- 
wards pounded in a heated mortar. The paste thus 
prepared is mixed with an equal quantity of sugar, 
and formed into cakes for use. We found these 
chocolate cakes delicious. 

The virtues of the banana were next discussed, 
and the boys began to conceive a higher opinion of 
it when I told them it had been called by travellers 
the u king of vegetables,” for it includes in its nour- 
ishing and palatable properties all that is needful for 
the food of man. My wife, who was ever mindful 
of her garden, no sooner heard the praises of the 
banana set forth than she became eager to have some 
of the seeds to plant. She also desired to cultivate 
the cacao-bean where it would be equally accessible, 
but I told her that the banana was best propagated by 
slips, and as Ernest assured her that he believed the 
cacao-beans would not grow unless they were put 


THE LETTER-CARRIERS. 


195 

in very speedily after they were gathered, Fritz went 
the following morning in his canoe, and brought 
home the needful supplies for making these valuable 
additions to our garden. 

He likewise brought back with him several yams. 
The fleshy roots (or more properly the tubers) of 
this most valuable plant are used in the East and 
West Indies as an article of food, in the same way 
as potatoes are in more temperate climates. As they 
are very large, occasionally weighing thirty pounds, 
he had not room for many of them. We tried to 
grow them in our garden also (by planting some of 
the small tubers, which grow at the stem, round the 
neck of the large tuber), but were not very successful. 


CHAPTER XXXII. 

CONCLUSION. 

C HAPTER had added itself to chapter, as year 
had added itself to year, and on looking back 
over what I have written, I cannot avoid 
wondering what the reader may think of this 
humble narrative. To me all these little features of 
our daily life were possessed of interest, and I was 
never weary of recording them ; but I must remem- 
ber it is otherwise with those who may read this 
story of events — some trivial, some serious — and of 
the undertakings, small and great, which we have 
achieved, so I shall pass rapidly over the remaining 
incidents. 


x 9 6 THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 

Ten years have passed over our heads, varied only 
by adventures and occurrences such as those I have 
already narrated. But these ten years have made a 
most important difference on my assistants. The 
younger boys, who, when we landed, were only a 
source of care and anxiety to their mother and me, 
had, by that time, grown up to be strong and active 
youths, more capable even of exertion or fatigue 
than myself. As they had acquired nearly all their 
knowledge and habits of life in this strange country, 
their hopes and anticipations were entirely concen- 
trated in our new possession. 

Fritz was now a hardy, vigorous young man of 
twenty-four years of age. Ernest and Jack had 
also reached manhood, and Francis was a lively and 
active youth of eighteen. They all had fine dis- 
positions, and we had the great advantage of being 
able to train them up without the risk of any bad 
influences of evil companions, or the temptations of 
civilized life. 

Happiness and contentment reigned in our cheer- 
ful colony, and a rich abundance greatly exceeded 
our utmost wants. 

It almost seemed as if there was nothing left us 
that we could desire ; yet many a look had I cast 
towards the sea, during the eventful years that 
passed since the shipwreck, in the hope of spying a 
sail, and once more greeting other human beings, 
from whom we had been so long shut out. The 
same feeling animated me in continuing to store up 
cotton, spices, ostrich plumes, &c., trusting that 
some day these things might prove a source of wealth 
to us, and probably enable us to pay our passage to 


THE ENGLISH SHIP 


(■97) 







THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


198 

Europe, or to acquire such additions to our supplies 
as might become requisite. 

My dear wife Elizabeth, and myself, were feeling 
the symptoms of approaching age ; and, with our 
own more vivid recollections of the past, it was 
impossible to shut out some haunting fears of the 
future. We felt (if the place of our settlement was 
to be our final abode) that some one of us must be 
destined to be the survivor of all the rest ; and to 
my mind, especially, the thought frequently recurred, 
with sad forebodings. But these feeling had the 
blessed result of making me turn my thoughts to 
heaven and pray to God that He (who had cared for 
us amid so many dangers, and surrounded us with 
so many mercies) would avert from any of us so sad 
a fate as to perish in solitude, amid scenes which had 
been the source of so much comfort and happiness. 

It is with feelings of a very varied character that 
I conclude this chapter. God is great, and abundant 
in goodness and mercy ! Such is the reigningsenti- 
ment in my heart. But the reader must pardon me 
if I close this long narrative abruptly and in haste. 

It was again drawing towards the close of another 
rainy .season. Our first attention was directed to 
our garden and the plantations in its vicinity ; but 
as the weather grew more settled we ventured on 
more distant excursions, and Fritz and Jack set off 
in the canoe to examine our fort and colony on 
Shark Island. 

Having landed there and found everything in 
good condition, they proceeded to load and fire the 
two guns in order to satisfy themselves that both 
the powder and the cannons were uninjured from the 


CONCLUSION. 


199 

wet. But what was their surprise, when shortly 
afterwards they distinctly heard three reports of 
cannon in the distance ! They consulted together, 
perplexed what to do under the circumstances, but 
finally decided to hasten home at once and inform 
me of this strange occurrence. 

My attention had been naturally attracted by the 
report of the guns on Shark Island ; but I had 
heard nothing else. On their assuring me that 
these had been followed afterwards by three other 
reports in the distance, my first thought was that 
they had been deceived by the echo of their own 
guns. This, however, was an opinion not to be 
entertained ; and what I knew of Fritz’s coolness 
and experience left me no longer any room to doubt 
the correctness of their conclusions. 

How strangely constituted is the human mind ! 
What had been the object of my desire and prayers 
for many years seemed now an object rather of dread 
than of hope. If there is indeed a ship on our 
coast, I said to myself, may it not as probably be 
that of some pirate as one manned by friendly 
Europeans? 

Towards evening the rain, which had only par- 
tially subsided, once more fell with increased violence, 
and for two days we were entirely confined to the 
grotto. On the third day, when it began to clear, 
Jack and Fritz intimated their intention of return- 
ing to Shark Island, and trying, by their signals, to 
ascertain if the stranger was still at hand. To this 
I agreed, and directed them to get out the canoe, so 
that I might accompany them. On reaching the 
fort both guns were fired. But it was now no longer 


200 


THE SWISS FAMIL Y ROBINSON. 


possible to doubt their previous account, for the 
sound of our guns had scarcely died away in the 
distance, when we heard a louder report, followed at 
brief intervals by six others. We hastened back to 
Rock Castle, and telling those at home of what we 
had heard, desired them to remain within the grotto, 
while Fritz and I proceeded in the canoe to see 
where the ship was. 

We coasted along, passing one point after another, 
without seeing anything, till I began once more to 
ask myself if the whole might not be an illusion. 
But it was impossible to entertain this idea. That 
we had heard the reports of seven guns I could no 
longer doubt, and the period that had elapsed since 
the first was heard from Shark Island made it almost 
certain that the vessel must be at anchor somewhere 
on the coast. 

Suddenly, on rounding a headland, we came full 
in sight of a fine large European vessel reposing at 
anchor, and I had no difficulty in recognizing the 
English colors flying from its masthead. On satisfy- 
ing myself that the vessel was really an English 
ship, I thought it advisable that we should present 
ourselves to the officers and crew in better trim, and 
we accordingly returned home as swiftly as we could. 

We set to work to get the pinnace in order, and 
put in a variety of our best fruits (and all the most 
acceptable supplies we could think of), for carrying 
as a present to the English ship. Evening set in 
before these preparations were completed. 

None of us, however, seemed to feel any inclina- 
tion to sleep ; so we sat down together and discussed 
the use that should be made of this opportunity. 


CONCLUSION. 


201 


My dear wife and I both felt that we were growing 
old, and that all we needed to render our happiness 
and the enjoyment of our abundant possessions com- 
plete, was the opening up of some communication 
with Europe. It was altogether different with the 
young people : they seemed perfectly intoxicated 
with joy, and with anticipations and indefinite long- 
ings for the future. 

Next morning we set sail in the pinnace, after an 
early breakfast. The utmost preparations had been 
made for giving the most favorable impression on 
our first appearance, and as soon as we came in sight 
of the ship we fired off a gun, and then hoisted the 
English colors. 

We were received with all the frank cordiality for 
which naval officers are noted, and we told, as briefly 
as possible, the history of our shipwreck, and of our 
sojourn for eleven years on this strange coast. 

The remainder of my story must be briefly told. 
We invited the Captain and his officers to Rock 
Castle, along with an English passenger, who, with 
his wife and two daughters, had left their native 
country with a view of settling in one of the British 
colonies. The latter were so delighted with all they 
saw at our settlement that it was at length definitely 
agreed that they should take up their abode perma- 
nently with us. The gentleman was a wealthy and 
skilful engineer, and the abundant stores and imple- 
ments he landed promised to be of no slight advan- 
tage to us. 

My son Fritz expressed a desire to visit Europe, 
and it was at length arranged with the Captain that 
Fritz and Jack should proceed with him to England. 


202 


THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. 


Ernest and Frank have no desire to leave us, and 
already they seem to have formed a lively attach- 
ment for the two daughters whom we have received in 
lieu of those of our family that return to Europe. 

We exchanged with the captain some of the pro- 
ductions of the island for gunpowder and other use- 
ful stores. The remainder, consisting of furs, 
spices, fruits, ostrich feathers, &c., were carefully 
packed and put on board as the fortune of our two 
sons. 

At length the last evening has arrived. I write 
this on the eve of the departure of my two sons. 
I have sought once more to impress on them the 
principles of religion, virtue, and probity, in which 
they have been reared, and to prepare them as 
much as possible for once more mingling with the 
world from which we have been so long shut out. 
For the last time we have all knelt together, while 
I commended my dear children to the watchful care 
of their heavenly Father. 

We have all passed a nearly sleepless night. As 
it approaches the hour when we must part with our 
dear children, the trial seems greater than we had 
conceived. 

Soon after dawn the firing of a cannon announced 
that the anchor was about to be weighed, and that 
the voyagers must hasten on board. 

I add these parting lines while the ship’s boat is 
preparing to depart, and I close with my last bles- 
sing to my sons. May God Almighty bless them, 
and keep them. Farewell, my beloved children ! 
Farewell. 


THE END. 


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